Turning Kaleidoscopes
by crayon.de.couleur
Summary: James has no privacy. He's the son of the Boy Who Lived, and everyone thinks they know everything about him. Charisma lives her life in secrecy, and she will do anything to make sure know one knows anything about her. When these two teenagers cross paths, both their lives take an unexpected turn that will have them rethinking everything they've ever known. AU,Next Generation,JSP/OC
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: Hi, guys, I'm back, with a new story! Enjoy!  
**

**Disclaimer: (by the way, I'm going to count this as the disclaimer for the whole story, because I'm too lazy for that) I do not own Harry Potter, blah blah blah... I think you know what's mine and what's not. Now go read. **

Prologue

King's Cross Station was crowded – which wasn't unusual, it _was_ King's Cross – but it was particularly crowded this day, as it was this day every year. This was a bit odd to the travelers that bothered to take note of it, but not the ones on their way to Platform 9 ¾.

Out of the steady flow of human traffic came one such traveler, a young girl pushing a cart loaded with trunks, wearing a broad, anxious grin on her freckled face. She turned and called impatiently, "Come _on, _Al, we're going to miss the train!"

Behind her came another luggage-bearing cart steered out of the crowd by a boy with the slightly gangly look of an adolescent. He adjusted his glasses and called back tolerantly, "Calm down, Lily. We're right behind you." The 'we' was presently confirmed by the arrival of their eldest brother, who was pushing his cart along more leisurely, watching his siblings with an expression of mild interest and annoyance.

"Better wait for Mum, Lily." He said drily. "You know she wants to see you go on the platform for the first time."

Lily rolled her eyes in a way that made her seem older than she was. "Oh, rubbish. I've been on the platform loads of times, when you and Albus went to school."

Albus leaned on the handle of his cart and adjusted his glasses again. "Yeah, but this is your first year as an actual student. It's different."

"How?" She challenged.

"Sentimental value," Their brother said sagely. "You know how women are. Plus," he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "I think Mum's gone a bit soft in her old age."

He was promptly smacked upside the head by the woman in question, who arched an eyebrow at her suddenly sheepish son. "Gone soft, have I?" She asked, much to the amusement of her other children and husband, who had walked over with her. "Better watch your tongue, James Potter," She warned, "Especially when you haven't cast a silencing charm." She marched past, followed by a giggling Lily.

James shoved Albus, who was still snickering, which instigated a good-natured tussle that was soon interrupted by their father, who reminded them of the time.

They quickly caught up with Lily and their mother, who were waiting by the brick wall between platforms 9 and 10.

"Mum, stop fretting!" Lily complained, batting away her mother's hands, which were nervously trying to smooth down Lily's flyaway red hair. "Dad!" She appealed to her approaching father.

"Alright now, Ginny, stop fussing." He took pity on his daughter, wrapping an arm around his wife and gently pulling her away. "We don't want them to be late." He motioned towards the wall. "Do you want Mum or me to take you through, Lily?"

The redhead chewed on her lower lip. "No…" She said hesitantly, then lifted her chin. "No. I can go by myself, Daddy. I'm eleven years old, after all." Behind her back, her parents exchanged amused glances, and her brothers rolled their eyes.

Lily stared down the wall with steely determination, took a deep breath, and ran straight forward at top speed. She would deny it later, but she squeezed her eyes shut right before she passed through the magic barrier, so the next thing she saw was the hustle and bustle of Platform 9 ¾.

James and Albus came through soon after, followed by their parents. Albus was about to take off to find his friends when James caught him by the collar. "Mum'll have our skins if we don't say goodbye." He warned Albus, who grimaced and nodded.

Ginny was hugging Lily fiercely, and despite all of Lily's claims of maturity, she let herself be hugged like a little girl again, feeling suddenly nervous. Eventually, she was passed on to her father, who hugged her just as tightly, until James sighed, "Honestly, it's not like you'll never see her again."

Lily was released as Ginny hugged her sons and began the annual routine of motherly reminders ("shower at least every other day", "turn in your homework on time", "say hullo to Neville for us", et cetera) with a new addition: "Take care of your brother and sister, James."

James was a bit surprised by the serious tone his mother adopted, but chalked it up to be anxiety over her last little bird leaving the nest. So he simply nodded, shook his dad's hand – as hugging was just for his mum, of course, since he was a sixteen year old boy – then said, "Okay, let's go." Ginny clutched her husband's arm as they watched James herd Albus and Lily towards the train and fought not to get overly emotional.

"Harry! Ginny!"

The couple turned to see Ginny's brother and his wife waving as they approached. "Hey Ron; Hermione." Harry greeted his best friends. "Where's the kids?"

"Over there with yours." Ron jerked his thumb over his shoulder where Rose and Hugo were about to board the train, accompanied by the Potter children. He grinned at Ginny. "I've got a galleon on Lily ending up in Slytherin."

Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione hit his arm. "Ron!"

"What? Albus is in Slytherin."

"Yes, and we're perfectly fine with that." Ginny said firmly, lifting her chin in a way Harry had seen copied by Lily many times. Ron put up his hands in surrender, then turned to Harry, wisely switching topics.

"What year is James in now? Sixth?"

"Yeah, with Fred… oh, and Dominique." Harry replied, naming two of their nieces and nephews.

Ron nodded, then exclaimed, "Say! Wasn't that the year you got your first girlfriend?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "Cho was never my girlfriend, Ron. And that was fifth year." He muttered. "What's your point?"

"What if James gets a girl this year?" Ron mused. "Like father, like son." He chuckled. "On that note, one galleon says it's a redhead." Hermione swatted him again. Harry's brow furrowed. As far as he knew, James had never had a girlfriend, or even fancied a girl before.

"Maybe he will…" He said doubtfully. "But I don't think he really wants one."

Ron snorted. "He's a teenager." As if this explained everything – which it did, a bit.

Ginny spoke up, "James doesn't even have many friends outside the family," she said, "Probably because he fears kids that are only interested in him because of Harry." She shot her husband an apologetic glance. The negative aspects of his fame were a sore spot. "I doubt he'll loosen up enough for a girlfriend."

The conversation was then stopped by the train whistle. As the adults turned to watch the train carrying their children chug out of the station, Harry found himself wondering exactly what kind of changes his son would face in the coming year.

**Author's Note: Review review review! **

**p.s. If you're one of my readers for_ Gigi and the Olympians_, fear not, I am not giving up on that story. I simply needed a break (yes, lame excuse, but deal with it) Meanwhile, I hope you like this one, too!**


	2. Exfoliation by Incineration

**Chapter One**

James sighed and leaned his head back against his seat, finally letting himself relax. Albus had gone to the Slytherin train car with some of his friends, and Lily had been dragged off with Rose and Hugo – who was also a first year student – to meet people, make friends… he didn't really care. So long as Rose didn't get her into trouble.

"Oi, James."

James lazily opened one eye to regard his cousin, best friend, and self-asserted chief troublemaker of Hogwarts, Fred. "Yeah?"

"What house do you suppose Lily'll be sorted into?" Fred asked, furrowing his brow like it was the most important question ever asked. James sighed again. He didn't understand the recent fascination with Lily's impending Sorting. Of course, the media had made quite the ruckus when Albus had been sorted into Slytherin, unlike his brother James, who was expectedly a Gryffindor. And, he supposed some people were wondering whose footsteps Lily would follow in, but he didn't see why it was such a huge deal.

He shrugged and answered, "Who knows? Maybe she'll end up in Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff."

Fred jumped to his feet. "Blasphemy!" he cried. "How dare you think such things, James Potter!" He pounced on his cousin, clapping a hand over his mouth. "Shh, someone might have heard you!"

"Mmmph – gerroff!" James shoved Fred off the seat. "Prat." He grumbled.

Fred, lying spread-eagle on the compartment floor, pressed a hand to his heart. "You wound me, dear cousin." He said woefully. James rolled his eyes.

"You'll live."

"Barely."

"Prat."

"Tosser."

This soon escalated into a wrestling match, which was cut short by the sound of laughter. The boys froze, Fred's foot on James' shoulder, and James' hand squishing Fred's face into the floor. They stared at the source of the laughter, a girl standing by their open compartment door, grinning.

Fred sprang to his feet. "Why, hello there." He grinned back rakishly. "How _do _you do?" He waggled his eyebrows.

The girl raised an eyebrow, still smiling. "Um, hello." She glanced over at James picking himself up off the ground, brushing a dusty shoeprint off his sleeve. "May I sit here?"

Fred threw an arm around her shoulders. "But of _course_! Who are we to turn away a lovely lady such as yourself?" He dragged her inside and practically pushed her into the seat across from James, then turned on what he called the 'Wondrous Womanizing Weasley Wiles' full blast, bowing in a sweeping gesture that almost slapped James in the face, who was watching with a bored expression, used to Fred's flirtatious nature. "Welcome to our humble abode."

The flirt then stuck out his hand to his victim (which seemed a bit backwards, to James) and said theatrically, "Fred Weasley the Second; Gryffindor, pleased to make your acquaintance." He winked. "_Very _pleased."

She returned his handshake. "Charisma Fortescue." She smiled slyly. "Gryffindor."

Fred paused and James looked up from the book he had gotten out. "Beg pardon?" Fred scratched his head. "Are you positive? I don't recall ever meeting you, and I know everyone in the Gryffindor house."

Charisma shrugged lightly and smiled again. "Evidently not." She turned away from the puzzled Fred and held out her hand to James. "Nice to meet you, I'm Charisma."

James was instinctually wary of this friendly, alleged Gryffindor. He frowned at her. "I'm sure you already know who I am." He muttered.

"Of course I do." Charisma answered bluntly. "You're James Potter. Almost everyone in the wizarding world knows who you are. I didn't realize that meant I should disregard common courtesies." She leveled him with her gaze and reached out her hand again as Fred chortled.

"She's got you there, mate." He grinned as James glared at him. "Now stop being a prat and shake her hand."

James sighed – he seemed to be doing that quite a lot today – and shook her hand, then immediately went back to his book, ignoring Fred's not very quiet whisper of "Don't mind him."

He let his mind wander as Fred and Charisma made small talk, but eventually found himself studying their new traveling companion, mildly intrigued despite himself.

He wouldn't exactly call her beautiful, or even pretty; she was _striking _– the kind of face you want to keep looking at. Her skin was a warm caramel brown, her face heart-shaped, with large bright hazel eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. She had a rather nice smile, big and happy. She also had dimples, and a dusting of freckles across her nose. Her face was framed by a mass of impossibly curly hair the colour of toffee. James deduced she was biracial, probably African and white, like Fred – only it was less noticeable with him; he took after his father George in looks.

"Oi," Fred elbowed him, interrupting his observations. "Stop staring, chap. It's creepy." James felt his face heat up, and waited for Charisma to further humiliate him.

But she only chuckled and said lightly, "Nah, it's alright. I do look a bit like I was thrown in a toaster oven as a baby, eh?" She shrugged and dimpled at the boys.

Fred guffawed, and James cracked a smile. _She's not half bad_, he thought begrudgingly as Charisma giggled at Fred's boisterous laughter.

"Having a party, are we? And you didn't invite _moi_?"

The three looked over to the door, where a girl with spiky blonde hair and heavy dark eye makeup was standing, arms crossed over her chest.

Fred waved cheerfully. "Hullo, Dominique."

Their cousin came in and flopped onto the seat next to Charisma, eyeing her lazily. "Oh, hi, Izzy."

"Hi, Nicky."

Dominique crossed her legs. "You never answered my last Owl. What happened?"

Charisma said ruefully, "Oh, I'm sorry Nicky. Fluffernut broke his wing in August, and then I forgot completely."

Dominique sighed long-sufferingly. "I suppose I can forgive you… _this _time." She grinned.

Fred put up his hand. "Excuse me. Fred here. I seem to have lost my way in this conversation and require some assistance finding my way back." He gestured between the two girls. "You know each other?"

Dominique gave him a withering look that could've turned grapes into raisins. "We've been roommates for five years." She smirked. "And best friends for about three."

"How come you never introduced us?" Fred cried, affronted. "This is a grievous offense, Dominique Weasley."

Dominique frowned at him. "Because, I didn't – don't – want her becoming one of your 'conquests', _Frederick, _or one of James' pathetic fangirls." She sighed dramatically. "It seems I've failed…"

"I resent that!" James protested, his reserve dropping slightly. Dominique always did know how to get under his skin. That was probably why she was one of the cousins he was closest to.

"I do too." Charisma piped up. "You know me better than that, Nicky." She stood up. "Well, I should go check on Jackie and Simon." She said, exiting the compartment. After a second, though, her head popped back around. "But don't fret, Nicky dearest. I'm not mad at you." She winked at her friend and was gone again.

"Jackie and Simon?" Fred inquired of Dominique.

"Her brother and sister. First years." She replied distractedly, taking out her wand and leisurely conjuring purple butterflies that dissolved into the air after a few feet of flight.

"Yes!" Fred cheered. "More Gryffindors!"

"Don't count your chickens yet, Freddie." Dominique chided, sending a butterfly into his face. He spluttered and slapped at his cheeks. "After all, Charisma's twin brother Xavier is a Slytherin."

James looked up sharply.

Fred blinked. "You're serious?"

Dominique pulled a small hand mirror from her robe pocket and squinted at her reflection. "That would be James' middle name." She said sarcastically. "Yes, Fred, I'm serious. Why does it matter?" She challenged, then looked back at the mirror and tilted her head. "Hmm, I do believe it's time for a change…" she pointed her wand at her hair and murmured a spell, streaking the blonde with crimson. "House pride." She grinned toothily. Then she noticed James and Fred's baffled expressions. "What?"

"'Why does it matter'?" Fred exclaimed. "Why _doesn't _it matter? Twins that are Gryffindor _and_ Slytherin? It's unheard of!"

"Oh, don't get your boxers in a bunch, Freddie." Dominique said testily. "It's not all that."

"Well, it _is _rather odd." James supported Fred, then regretted it as Dominique swung to face him, hackles raising to defend her friend's family.

"Well, I don't think you have much say in the matter, James." She retorted. "Or have you forgotten dear brother Albus?"

James frowned. "That's different." He mumbled. Dominique stared at him flatly. He threw up his hands. "Fine. Sorry. It's not odd at all. Perfectly normal."

"No, it _is _odd." Charisma countered, waltzing in and sitting down, ignoring the suddenly red faces of her companions. "No need to be quite so prickly, Nicky, they were just being honest." She said diplomatically.

"My sincerest apologies, fair maiden!" Fred exclaimed, falling to his knees in front of her. "Can you find it in your pure heart to forgive the folly of my tongue?"

Charisma snickered and extracted the hands he was moving to kiss. "Oh hush, you." She dismissed him. "You did nothing wrong."

"You don't mind?" James asked, surprising them both with the first sincere question he had asked her.

She recovered quickly and smiled at him, pushing a stray curl out of her eyes. "No. Well, I don't _really_," She amended. "I do get miffed sometimes, but if I let myself get all hot and bothered over every little thing, it would get very tiresome, don't you think?"

James nodded slowly. "Yes. Yes, I do." Charisma regarded him with surprise again, then grinned broadly. _A nice smile. _James found himself thinking again, then threw caution to the wind and smiled back.

Charisma blinked, startled once again, and opened her mouth to speak, when her eyes rounded and she gasped, "Nicky! Your hair!"

Dominique huffed. "Just noticed, did we? Honestly, Izzy."

"No, I mean – it's _smoking!" _

"What?" Dominique's hands flew to her head, which was indeed expelling smoke. Then, to the utter shock of her friends, it burst into flames.

"Whoa!" James jumped backward.

"AHHH!" Dominique shrieked. "HELP! MY HAIR'S ON FIRE, MY HAIR'S ON FIRE, MYHAIRISONFIRE!"

"Hold on!" Fred ripped off his robe and threw it over her, then smacked her head, trying to smother the fire. "Don't panic, don't panic, _stop panicking_!" He cried frantically, then let out a rather girlish squeal as his robe caught fire.

"Fred! Let go of the robe!" James scrambled away from Fred and Dominique's flailing arms. "I said – _oomph_!" He grunted as Fred tripped and tackled him into the wall.

"BLOODY MERLIN, MY HAIR MY HAIR MY _HAIR!" _

"GET OFF, FRED!"

"SHE'S ON FIRE!"

"_AGUAMENTI!_"

The compartment was suddenly blasted with water, dousing the fire, and everything else in the vicinity. James pushed Fred off of him, shoved wet hair out of his face, and stared at Charisma, who was standing in the middle of the chaos, sopping wet, holding out her wand and looking as if she had been hit by a stunning jinx.

Fred coughed and staggered to his feet. "Blimey," He said. "You've got some bite behind that bark, Miss Fortescue."

Charisma let out a gasp of laughter. "All power, no finesse, as Professor Finnigan would say." She joked, referencing their Charms teacher at school.

"Oh, I _knew _that spell was rubbish!" Dominique moaned, gingerly patting her slightly singed, but thankfully still-present blonde hair. She stamped her foot. "Well, that's the last time I read the Witch Weekly beauty column!" She spat.

Charisma, James, and Fred exchanged looks, then burst into peals of laughter. Dominique pouted, disgruntled, before giving up and joining them.

"You read Witch _Weekly?_" James snorted.

"You used one of their _beauty_ spells?!" Charisma exclaimed.

"Your – hair – caught – on – _fire_!" Fred gasped, clutching his stomach.

"Maybe that was the intended outcome!" Dominique protested through her giggles, trying to look indignant. They only laughed harder.

"Oh, right!" Fred snickered. "I can see it now – Brand new beauty treatment: exfoliation by incineration! Available at drugstores near you!" He paused. "Say, that's kind of catchy…"

James slumped against the seat, laughing so hard he was crying. Charisma collapsed beside him, her wet hair flinging drops of water on him. He didn't care; he was soaked through already.

"What the – what in the name of heaven _happened_ here?!"

The hysterical teenagers looked over to see Dominique's sister Victoire, who was also Head Girl, standing in the doorway, horrified as she took in the blackened robe on the floor, the steam rising off of Dominique's head, and the general saturated state of the room. "_Mon dieu! _Dominique, what -?"

"Her hair caught on fire," James explained, being the only one anywhere near coherent, sending the others off again. "Charisma put it out."

Victoire stared at them blankly, before putting up her hands and backing away. "I don't want to know. Just… clean it up. Please." She hurried off, shooing away curious students who had wandered over, back to their cars.

James let his laughter trail off, watching as the others attempted to calm themselves. He grinned at the scene, then took out his wand and performed some drying spells, evaporating water off the floor and walls.

He then felt his own clothes and skin dry up, and turned to see Charisma holding out her wand in his direction. He nodded his thanks, then went back to his task as Charisma began drying the seat cushions. Eventually Fred and Dominique sobered up and helped out, every now and then cracking a joke about fire or Witch Weekly, setting off some harmless chuckles.

James wondered briefly if he'd ever laughed quite so hard in his entire life.

**Author's Note: Stay tuned for Chapter Two, coming in one week! (Same Bat time, same Bat channel) **

**Reeeeeeviiiieewwwwww... **


	3. What a Coincidence

**Author's Note: Hi guys, I decided to post the next chapter early because I don't think I'm going to have computer access this weekend... anyway, happy reading!**

**Chapter Two: What a Coincidence**

"We're here!" Fred cheered, bursting out of the train and onto the Hogwarts platform. "At last!" He reached back and grabbed James around the neck, dragging him off the train. "James, my boy! Sixth year!" He exclaimed. "Sixth year! We're practically _adults!_"

Dominique stepped out after her cousins. "Oh, sure." She snorted. "But are we speaking of age or maturity?"

"Ouch." Fred winced. "Take no prisoners, eh?"

"It's my new motto." She smirked.

"If by new, you mean since you were old enough to walk." Fred mumbled.

"What was that, _Freddie_?"

"If you two insist on bickering like this all year," James inserted, "I may have to find someone new to keep me company."

Dominique and Fred exchanged disbelieving – and slightly offending – looks, before Fred grinned and saluted James. "We'll behave, Captain. Merlin forbid you have to," He gasped in mock horror, "_Make new friends!"_ James laughed and shoved Fred.

"Prat."

Dominique patted James' shoulder. "Let's be honest, mate, where would you be without us?" She winked. "Best not start complaining now, after five years of best-friend-ship." James rolled his eyes, and caught the sight of someone walking down the platform, towards where some professors were gathering the first-years into a group.

"Where is Charisma going?" he asked Dominique.

She glanced over. "Probably to check on her siblings."

"Again?" Fred looked up from where he was fiddling with his robes.

"Her family is the most important thing in the world to her," Dominique recited. "That's a direct quote." She smiled. "I hear it almost every week."

James raised his eyebrows. "That's… admirable." He said. _And speaking of family…_ "I should go check on Lily as well." He sighed, "And Hugo, since Rose surely won't." Fred and Dominique nodded knowingly; Rose's flighty and forgetful nature was legend in the family, much to their Aunt Hermione's dismay and Uncle Ron's amusement.

"Want us to wait for you?" Fred asked.

"No, that's alright. I'll meet you in the Great Hall." James assured them, then walked off, his long legs helping him catch up to Charisma quickly. He tapped her on the shoulder. "Babysitting?" He attempted a joke.

She jumped. "Oh, James! Hi." She flashed him a grin. "Yup, got to make sure Jackie and Simon don't fret too much before the Sorting, or I'll get in trouble."

James smiled and asked, "With your mum?"

She looked at him blankly, then blinked and exclaimed, "Oh! Right. Yes. With my mum." She laughed lightly and quickened her step, hurrying ahead of James, who watched her with a confused frown on his face.

Dominique and Fred watched James with Charisma for a moment, then Fred slung his arm around Dominique's shoulders and said, "Look at our little boy, Dom. All grown up and making friends…" He sniffed and wiped away an imaginary tear. "We've raised him well."

For once, Dominique didn't roll her eyes at Fred's theatrics. Instead, she said thoughtfully, watching her roommate and cousin walk off, "Don't you find it awfully curious that James is so interested by Izzy?"

"No." Fred said distantly, winking at a group of blushing third year girls. "Should I?"

Dominique tossed his arm off her shoulder and gave him an overdue eye roll. "_Yes, _you certainly should, and stop being a pedophile, Frederick. It's not very becoming."

"You care about how becoming I am? I'm touched, Dommy dearest. Truly, I am."

"Shut up, tosser." Dominique grumbled. "And if I hear that nickname one more time, I will feed you to a herd of blast-ended skrewts and spell your name wrong on the tombstone."

Fred's eyes widened and he backed away. "Consider me duly warned, Dom – er, Dominique." He glanced at the stream of students headed towards the carriages. "Can we go now? I want to reserve our table for the year." Fred and James made a practice of sitting at the same table all year; Dominique sometimes joined them.

Dominique glanced back where James and Charisma had reached the first years. "Yeah, alright." She said. As they hurried to catch the carriages, Dominique looked back one last time, and again couldn't help but wonder why her antisocial cousin was being so… friendly.

_Well, maybe Fred was right. _She thought grudgingly. _Maybe James 'Serious' Potter has done a bit of growing up._

Charisma cursed her stupidity as she tried to put some distance between herself and the remarkably persistent James Potter. She had slipped up, _again._ It had been happening a bit too much lately, and if it _kept _happening, Dominique was bound to notice and ask questions accordingly; she was much too perceptive for Charisma's own good.

She could tell James was suspicious already. Why, oh why did she have to be friendly to him? And more importantly, why did he have to be friendly in return? Wasn't he the one with the reputation of being a tightwad? It certainly wasn't _Fred._

Again, she cursed herself for becoming best friends with a member of one of the most famous families in wizarding history – even though she had thought she was okay, because Dominique wasn't offspring of the Golden Trio or anything of the sort. Of course, she loved Dominique and would never wish her away, but it was a less-than-ideal situation.

She spotted her sister Jacqueline among the gaggle of eleven-year-olds. "Jackie!" She called. "Over here!" Jackie spun around, squealed and waved.

"Hullo, Chrissie!" She replied, before reaching into the crowd of kids surrounding her and pulling a boy to her side. "Look, Simon, Chrissie's here." She informed her twin. Simon beamed at their elder sister.

"Chris!" He reached out and pulled her forward, gesturing around them wildly. "Look at this place! It's incredible!" Charisma grinned at her animated little brother as Jackie hugged her around the waist.

"Better save some of that excitement for when you see the castle, Si." She teased, ruffling his curls, the Fortescue family trademark. "We're only on the train platform!" Simon wrinkled his nose and squirmed away from Charisma's hand.

"Did you make some friends on the train?" She asked.

"Y –"

"Oh, yes!" Jackie interrupted her twin. "Simon went off with some boy – what was his name? – and I –"

"His _name_ was Hugo –"

"And I met this girl named Lily, she's really nice, and pretty, and – oh, there she is!" Jackie pointed somewhere behind Charisma, who turned to see a petite girl with red hair and big brown eyes. "Hullo, Lily!" Jackie called. Lily turned and smiled back shyly.

"Hi, Jackie."

Jackie bounded forward and dragged Lily over to her siblings. "Lily, this is my oldest sister, Chrissie – well, actually, her name is Charisma but I call her Chrissie, and Simon calls her Chris – oh!" She interrupted herself. "Simon! Lily, this is my twin brother Simon. He's eleven too, like us."

Lily looked a bit overwhelmed by Jackie's chatter, and Charisma chuckled as Jackie grabbed her brother's hand and yanked him over. "Simon, this is Lily."

Charisma's eyebrows raised. Simon was staring at Jackie's new friend with wide eyes, before catching himself and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Nice to meet you." He mumbled, doing what their brother Xavier did when he was covering up embarrassment.

"You too." Lily squeaked out, her freckled cheeks growing bright red. Jackie squinted at her.

"You alright there, Lily? You look like you gotta fever…"

Charisma grinned as Lily blushed even harder, and Simon seemed suddenly very absorbed in his shoelaces. She took pity on the kids as Jackie looked on obliviously and stuck out her hand to Lily. "Hi, Lily. I'm Charisma Fortescue." She leaned forward and whispered. "How much candy did Jackie have on the train?"

Lily giggled and shook Charisma's hand. "I lost track after the fifth chocolate frog." Charisma glared at Jackie, who decided Simon's shoelaces were indeed fascinating. "And I'm Lily Potter."

Charisma blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Lily?"

Charisma and Lily looked up to see none other James Potter. Charisma sighed inwardly and cursed her entire family's luck this time. "Hullo, James." She greeted politely. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"We walked over here together." He reminded her. Charisma then understood why Dominique was constantly rolling her eyes around her cousins.

"So we did." She turned away from James and Lily to Jackie and said cheerfully, belying the dangerous look on her face. "You didn't tell me you made friends with Lily _Potter,_ Jacqueline, dearest."

Jackie bristled. "You didn't tell _me _you made friends with _James_ Potter, _Charisma."_

"Jackie." Charisma said sharply. Jackie immediately deflated.

"Sorry, Chrissie." She apologized meekly. Charisma sighed and wrapped her arm around Jackie, turning back to the bewildered Potters.

"Isn't this a funny coincidence?" She asked, smiling. "I met James on the train, Jackie met Lily, and Simon –" She paused as something occurred to her. "Simon, what was that boy's name?"

Simon shrunk a little under his sister's gaze. "Um, Hugo."

"Hugo _what?"_

Simon looked away. "Weasley."

Charisma forced herself not to look desperately up towards the sky. _Is this a joke?_ "Oh, Hugo's my cousin!" Lily piped up, smiling at Simon, who flushed. "We see each other all the time back home." _Oh, marvelous. _

"How lovely." Charisma smiled at the redhead, "This really _is _quite the coincidence, hmm?"

James looked at her with his piercing green eyes and opened his mouth to speak when a voice boomed. "FIRST YEARS! OVER HERE! TIME TEH GET TO DE BOATS!" Charisma glanced over to see an enormous man with a wild gray-streaked beard. The man looked over, spotted the group that was slightly apart from the crowd, and flashed a broad grin under his bushy mustache. "OI! THAT BE JAMES POTTER? AND HIS SISTER, DE LOVELY LILY?"

James grinned back openly and waved. "Hey, Hagrid!" The half-giant gamekeeper of Hogwarts lumbered over before reaching down and grabbing both James and Lily in a bear hug, lifting them off the ground. Jackie and Simon stared, open-mouthed, as Charisma laughed. She had told them of Rubeus Hagrid many times, but she knew nothing could prepare them for the man himself.

Hagrid finally set the Potter children down, then the Fortescues caught his eye. "Blimey! Cuh' dat be Charisma Fortescue?" Charisma beamed. Hagrid always slurred her name, like Chr-iss-mah Fer-ts-coo.

"Hullo, Hagrid." She said, hugging her favourite professor, her arms barely reaching around to his sides. He patted her back gently.

"How ye be doin', lil' lady?" He asked. Before she could answer, though, he saw Simon and Jackie. "Why, I must be gettin' up thar in years, fer it seems thet I be seein' ye as a first year agin." Charisma laughed.

"This is my sister, Jacqueline, and my brother Simon. Jackie and Simon, this is Professor Rubeus Hagrid, of Care of Magical Creatures."

Hagrid bent down the best he could (for he _was _getting up there in years) and peered into Jackie's wide eyes from behind his thick-framed glasses. "Pleasure te meet ya, Jack-el-een Fer-ts-coo." He extended one huge hand and swallowed Jackie's palm with his own. "Ye are pertier than a flyin' phoenix, missy." He winked at Charisma. "I'll bet ye grow up te be as bee-yoo-ti-ful as yer sister when ye get a mite older."

Charisma shook her head. "No, she'll be much prettier than I am." She replied, tugging on one of Jackie's curls. "Simon here will be beating the boys away with sticks, won't you, Si?"

Simon grinned at Jackie. "Naw, they can have her. Once they… persuade me." He rubbed his fingers together and waggled his eyebrows. Lily giggled and Jackie glowered.

"You're a horrible twin brother!" She complained. "See what I put up with, Mister Hagrid?" She sighed dramatically as Hagrid chuckled. "Oh, well. I supposed I'll have enough to deal with from Xavier." She wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"I'd be more worried about Chris." Simon muttered. Charisma lifted her chin.

"Right-o, Simon!" She declared. "Those boys will be lucky enough to get within twenty feet of our Jackie, eh?" Jackie sighed again as Simon nodded and smiled toothily at his twin.

"What about your father?"

The three Fortescues' heads came up and they stared at Lily Potter, the source of the question. She reddened at the sudden attention.

"Our father?" Charisma repeated, while Jackie and Simon's eyes went to her.

Lily shuffled her feet. "Well, my daddy always threatens to not let me date until I get married." She screwed up her face comically. "Which is rubbish, of course, and not even logical. Isn't… isn't your dad the same with you?" She asked more hesitantly. Jackie was silent.

Charisma smiled at the youngest Potter. "Oh, I see. Yes, you're right, Lily. Our father is quite protective of us girls, isn't that right, Jacqueline?"

Jackie nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Right. He really is. Protective, I mean. Very protective." She babbled. Charisma lightly put her hand on Jackie's shoulder.

Hagrid crossed his arms over his large stomach, and said, "Well, Chrissma an' James, I'll hafta be takin' these young'ns off te de boats afore we git lef' behind." He nodded to where the other professors were herding the first years away. "So you two best be getting' off te de carriages 'fore ye miss de last one."

Charisma turned to her brother and sister and knelt down, pulling them close to her. She whispered in their ears, "I'm glad you made new friends, but _do not forget the rules_." Then straightened up and said louder, "Be good, don't fret too much; you'll be fine." She smiled reassuringly. "I'll be right there for your Sortings, okay? So will Xavier." She bit her lower lip, then hugged them one last time. "I'm so proud of you guys."

Jackie beamed as Simon shrugged nonchalantly and said, "We're not Ollie and Anna, Chris, we'll be alright."

Charisma rolled her eyes. "Don't get smart with me, Si." She half-joked. "Now get lost, and I'll see you in the Great Hall."

She and James, who had finished his brotherly duties with Lily, turned and hurried off towards the carriages as behind them, Hagrid directed their siblings to the boats with the other first years.

**Review if you love cookies ;)**


	4. The Kaleidoscope

**Author's Note: Holy shizniks, I'm updating even earlier! (Don't get used to it, these chapters are prewritten and I get all excited and post before I plan to) Anyway, hope you like! **

**Chapter Three: The Kaleidoscope**

"Who are Ollie and Anna?"

Charisma glanced up, mildly surprised by the question. A small line formed in her forehead as she scanned her memory for mentioning those names around him. Then she dimpled at him. "Oh, they're my little brother and sister; Oliver and Annabel."

James tilted his head. More siblings? "How old are they?"

She smiled again, this time it was tempered with nostalgia. "They're both three – twins."

James quirked an eyebrow. "Twins? You have three sets of twins in your family?" He laughed lightly, "Or are there more?"

Charisma laughed with him. "No, just three." She shrugged, "But I'm sure if my parents had more, it would have been twins." She tilted her head back to look at the starry sky stretching over them like a blanket that hid the sun. "Even though they pester me half to death sometimes, I've always loved being a family of twins. It's like being born with a built-in best friend."

James looked at her looking at the sky. "You miss them, don't you?"

Charisma sighed a long sigh, heavy with underlying emotions, still gazing at the stars. "You'd think it would be easier each year… it only gets harder." She finally lifted her head and smiled at James ruefully. "I suppose it's only foolishness to expect leaving a piece of your heart behind you would be easy."

James didn't know how to respond to this sudden seriousness. _Girls. Why do they have to make everything sentimental? _He hoped Charisma wasn't expecting to carry on that topic any longer, and so the two settled into pensive silence.

After Hagrid had taken charge of the children, James and Charisma had rushed over to the carriages, to find a lone cart waiting for them, with a note from a professor to James, irately stating he should know better than to miss the carriages, but that he would be let off the hook from a detention this _one_ time, in honor of his sister's Sorting.

James was vaguely disquieted by the fact that no one seemed to have noticed Charisma's absence at all, but Charisma had reminded him with an amused look that the staff was probably much more concerned about losing the son of _the_ Harry Potter than a forgettable girl from Gryffindor (and had later mentioned he should in fact be ashamed for causing so much fuss for the surely frazzled teachers).

"That's no excuse." James had grumbled. "They should be equally concerned – or mad – at you."

"Don't be silly," Charisma had waved her hand dismissively. "I am sure Xavier will be concerned enough for the staff of Hogwarts, Durmstrang's, and Beauxbatons put together – though he won't show it," She added with a grin. "I needn't have any more people fretting over little ol' me."

James was nonetheless vexed, and he wasn't completely sure why. He was used to the excessive – and undesired - attention that came from being his father's son, and he never reacted in defense of Fred or Dominique not receiving the same concentration. Why Charisma?

He had promptly put the matter out of his head to deal with later, and it was presently creeping back in as they rode the horseless carriage to the castle. He found himself studying Charisma once again, and replaying previous impressions he had of her, that he had filed away.

With most people, you judge them on a kneejerk reaction, and that becomes a foundation for how you see them that you build upon, encounter by encounter. But with Charisma, James found himself having to constantly reevaluate and rearrange his thoughts on her. It was like having the pieces of more than one jigsaw puzzle.

_No, that's not right. _He frowned. _She's more like a kaleidoscope. The pieces never change, but every time you turn your head there's a brand new picture… nice analogy, Potter, perhaps now you'd like to take up Divination and tell people the meaning of life?_

"James?"

He snapped to attention, forcing away embarrassment as he realized he had zoned out staring at Charisma. He was relieved to see she hadn't noticed his staring; she was looking down the road. "What?"

Her mouth opened, then she paused and shook her head, "Oh, never mind."

James would have normally shrugged and let the matter go, but Charisma intrigued him, so he asked, "No, what is it?"

She wrinkled her nose. "Well, I was going to ask you about your family, but then I figured that you wouldn't want to talk about it." James was strangely galled.

"How would you know that?" He grumbled. Charisma just looked at him. "I'm not _that _bad," He protested. "…am I?"

She laughed. "Yes, you are, but I was referring to the fact that family is a bit of a personal subject most people don't care to discourse with perfect strangers upon." Her cheeks coloured. "Unless you're me." She shrugged and gave a self-deprecating half-smile.

James nodded slowly, but said nothing. Charisma didn't seem surprised nor put off by his lack of response, and settled back against the wood planks of the carriage, going back to her stargazing.

"I worry." James suddenly blurted, startling them both. "About my family."

Charisma blinked at him, then offered a sincere smile and nodded. She looked back to the sky; James was relieved that she didn't press the issue, but also felt free to speak further.

"Albus is in Slytherin… you probably know that." He muttered, feeling the familiar thorn of bitterness from the lack of privacy the famous Potters got from the press, "My parents don't care; Dad makes a point to say he's proud of Al every chance he gets, and Al does great in Slytherin, the little prat." Charisma grinned at the obviously half-hearted insult. "But I still worry. I know people will treat him like the black sheep of the family because of his house. It's not fair."

James sighed. "Then there's Lily. If she gets Sorted into Gryffindor, then Albus really _will _be the black sheep. If she gets sorted into Slytherin, that's… fine, but it will still cause problems. Just more blood for the paparazzi leeches to feed on." He said darkly. "Either way, it's not going to turn out well. I know people are going to judge us even more after tonight."

He left it at that, feeling at once vulnerable and resentful, and loathe to keep talking. What was it about this girl that made him blather on like Fred after too much firewhiskey?

"You're wrong."

He looked up sharply at Charisma's soft statement. She wasn't looking at him, so he couldn't see her expression. "Excuse me?"

"You _don't _know."

"I…" James frowned. "Yes, I think I do."

Charisma tugged at a curl that had fallen into her face. "I've learned that making assumptions about people only causes problems." She said simply. "It's not a good habit."

James was at once angry. "Judging people you've only just met isn't a good habit, either." He said harshly. Charisma glanced at him, surprised.

"I know, that's what I just said." Her tone was confused.

James gritted his teeth. His insult to preserve his dignity had backfired and only made him look like more of a prat. He didn't take to that very well. "I was talking about _you._" He said lowly. Charisma's eyes widened. The innocent look on her face only made him angrier. "You've no right to lecture _me _about making assumptions; someone who's been in the tabloids ever since I was born. Believe me, I know _all _about assumptions." He thought of Albus' jovial smile.

As if she could read his mind, she said quietly, "You're not the only one with a brother in Slytherin, James Potter."

He immediately remembered her twin brother Xavier, and felt a moment of shame. James Potter did not take well to shame, either. "Which is exactly why you shouldn't be judging me. So stay out of my business."

Her eyes flashed, and she turned to face him directly. "It was not my intention to insult you, James, which you would know if you didn't take everything so personally. The world does not revolve around the Potter family, despite what you may think."

"The wizarding world wouldn't even be around without the Potter family." He retorted.

He had unknowingly crossed another line. Her eyes narrowed, and she said coldly. "Your father is a hero, and deserves every praise given him, but he was _not _the only person that fought in that war. How could you so easily dismiss the sacrifices people made?"

James' mind went to his god brother Ted's parents, and his Uncle George's twin brother Fred, who had all died in the second wizarding war.

From the sheen in her eyes, he could guess that Charisma had also lost people close to her. He was about to swallow his pride and apologize when she muttered, "Your father would be ashamed of you."

His hackles raised. "Don't talk about my dad." He growled at her.

Charisma was not intimidated. "Then stop being such an arrogant troll." She snapped back.

"Fine."

"Fine."

The rest of the ride to the castle was made in stony silence.

**Author's note: ooooh, a lover's quarrel already? Heehee, just kidding. Chapter four will be up next week! **

**xoxo, **

**EMC **


	5. Cheers

**Author's note: And here we are, chapter four right on schedule! This is more of a filler chapter with some character introduction, but don't let that dissuade you from reviewing! ;) **

**Oh, and I would like to thank xXxLasting-MemoriesxXx for her reviews and dbd823 for her support and best-friend-ship. Love you both! **

* * *

**Chapter Four: Cheers**

"Psst! Simon!"

He turned to see Jackie weaving through the clusters of first years huddled together, staring wide-eyed at the magnificent sight that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They had, of course, seen the castle whilst on the enchanted boats, but it was so much… _bigger _up close. Simon could now see how they could teach and house several hundred people within.

"Jackie," He squinted at his sister's wide eyes and pale face. "What's wrong?"

"What's _wrong? _I'm nervous, that's what's wrong!" She frowned at him. "Aren't you?"

"Er…" She swatted his arm.

"That's not fair!" Jackie huffed. "We're twins! Aren't we supposed to, you know, have the same emotions and all that?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "Not exactly. We're fraternal, after all." Jackie smacked him again. "Ouch! Why are you so violent, Jack?" He complained, "I'll bet you end up in Slytherin. You're mean."

"Chrissie would string you up if she heard that." Jackie warned, annoyingly pleased by the idea. "'Sides, it's the Gryffindors that are famous for being hot-tempered."

"Chris doesn't have a temper." Simon defended their eldest sister, then added at Jackie's blank look, "Well, not usually…" They snickered.

"Anyways, what house do _you _think we'll end up in?" Jackie asked, then sighed, "_If _we're in the same house… I still don't understand how twins could be Sorted differently." She mused, obviously thinking of Xavier and Charisma.

Simon scratched his ear, a habit he had when he was thinking hard. "Well, they are quite a bit different."

Jackie nodded, her curly pigtails bouncing. "Yeah, but you'd never know it. It's not like they fight very much."

"I think it's because they balance each other out. Like two ends of a magnet, or something." Simon replied.

"That describes them perfectly. Brilliant!" Jackie grinned toothily. "I wonder which one of us will end up in Slytherin, and which one in Gryffindor…"

"Those aren't the only two options, you know."

Jackie only shrugged. "They might as well be. It's not like we're going to go anywhere else."

* * *

"Do you see them?" Dominique asked, hopping up and down as she attempted to see over the heads of swarming students.

"Nope." Fred grinned down at her. "You're awful short, did you know that?" Dominique narrowed her eyes. "Not that that's, um, bad… I like short people."

"Oh, stuff it."

Fred pantomimed zipping his lips and winked at his cousin, who rolled her eyes on cue. He smirked and said, "Well, as much as I enjoy standing here like a friendless git, my legs are tired. Can we go sit down?"

Dominique muttered something probably offensive in French, and was about to turn and follow him when she caught sight of a familiar head of curls. "Oh, there they are," She waved.

James was stalking towards her, glowering. Charisma followed by a few meters, arms crossed and chin stuck out defiantly. Dominique's hand slowly came down. "Uh-oh."

James stomped past her, grabbing Fred's arm as he went.

Dominique hissed to Charisma, "Oi, what'd you do to get James' knickers all in a twist?"

Charisma blew a curl out of her eyes. "I told him the truth."

* * *

"James? James. James. _James!_"

"_What?!" _James snarled, spinning around. Fred skittered back a step, hands up in surrender.

"Please don't hurt me." He pleaded dramatically. "I've got a wife, three kids, mortgages to pay, no dental insurance, and –"

"Shut up, Fred." James muttered, in no mood to smile.

Fred eyeballed his friend. "What're you on about?"

"Nothing." James grunted unconvincingly. "Let's just go sit down."

Fred, never one to leave a rock unturned, glanced back where Charisma and Dominique were prattling on, and grinned wolfishly. "Ooh, I see what this is. Lady problems, eh mate?"

"NO."

"Well, there's a problem. And a lady." Fred shrugged. "Two plus two equals five."

"Four, Fred."

"That's what I said. Two plus two equals four."

James rubbed his temples as they sat down at the Gryffindor table, decorated in a variety of red and gold adornments. Fred gave him some space and greeted some of their house acquaintances and a few passing ghosts as the final persons of the student population trickled in through the doorway. He noticed Charisma and Dominique talking to a tall boy in Slytherin colours, which he soon recognized as Xavier, her twin brother.

He watched as Xavier took Charisma aside as Dominique sat down a little ways down the table with some other sixth year girls. James thought the conversation between the siblings looked a little too intense for the first day of school.

"Potter! Weasley!"

James and Fred looked up to see a willowy girl with dark skin and intricately braided hair waltzing towards them. Fred beamed and grabbed her hand, bowing low over it. "Your majesty! What an honor to be graced with your _enchanting_ presence!"

James lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey, Shelley."

Shelley Shacklebolt, widely known as 'Princess' by the general populace, in reference to her father's first name (Kingsley) and status as Minister of Magic, gave Fred a withering look and extricated her hands. "Charming as ever, Fred. But isn't it a bit early for flirting?"

"To hear a beautiful woman such as yourself say something so horrid… my heart breaks. Truly, it does."

"Go see Madame Patil." Shelley quipped. "Now, I came to see if I can count on you two for this year's Quidditch team."

"We'll be the first ones on the pitch for tryouts, your highness!" Fred declared. James grinned and nodded. Both boys were religious Quidditch players, and had been members of the Gryffindor team since second year.

"Ace!" Shelley smiled. "Well, as team captain, I must remain impartial, but…" She winked. "You're both as good as in." Fred and James high-fived. Shelley looked up when another seventh year called her name, and said, "Well boys, seems I'm being summoned. Hope Lily gets in Gryffindor! Oh, and say hello to Teddy for me, yes? Ciao!" She glided away, with all the regality of an actual princess.

"Couldn't she just owl him herself?" Fred asked James, who shrugged. His god brother and Shelley had been friends for ages, she was just his team captain. It was their business, not his.

"Actually… I don't think she said that for our benefit," James realized, pointing to where Dominique's sister – and Ted's girlfriend – Victoire sat fuming at the Hufflepuff table. It was also common knowledge that Shelley and Victoire did _not _get along. Fred snorted.

"One galleon says they'll be outright dueling by the end of the year."

"I'll take that bet." Rashid Mustafa, one of James and Fred's roommates, slid onto the bench next to them. "Hey there, Potter. Weasley."

"Mustafa!" Fred clasped hands with him. "Cheers."

"Say, where's your cousin, Dominique? I've decided that I'm finally going to ask her out this year." Rashid grinned at the astonished looks on his friends' faces.

"What?" Fred spluttered. "You and… _Dominique?_" He considered it for a moment, then grinned. "Go for it, mate. I just want to be there to see her reaction when the boy who cast a sardine hex on her in third year asks her out." Rashid's ears turned red.

"Bloody hell, Fred, for the last time, it wasan _accident! _She can't hold a grudge for that long."

Fred and James exchanged a glance before bursting out laughing.

"Some friends you toerags are." Rashid muttered, before saying, "Hey, shut up! The Headmistress is gonna speak now."

At the front of the Great Hall, Headmistress Brunhilde Bainbridge – a formidable woman with a kind twinkle in her brown eyes, despite her severe countenance – was standing behind the podium in front of the faculty table, her hands held up to command attention.

Slowly silence fell over the great hall. Bainbridge gazed over the crowd with the air of a farmer admiring a flock of geese.

"Welcome!" She proclaimed, her authoritative voice echoing in the hall. "To those of you returning to Hogwarts, and to those who are new faces, I and all the staff here are delighted to see each and every one of you. I am sure that we will have a sensational year, filled with great fun and great learning in equal measure!"

"The old bird makes the same speech every year." Fred yawned.

"Well, I think it would get tiresome to think up a new one every time." James countered. "Besides, you don't get headmistress 'cause you're a good speaker, you get it 'cause you're a bloody good witch." Fred shrugged in agreement.

"Now, I could go on and on with this speech, as I'm sure most of you have heard year after year," Bainbridge continued, her eyes coming to rest on the end of the Gryffindor table. She smiled and winked, and Fred turned as red as his hair while James snickered. "But I am just as eager to get to the main event as you all are – the Sorting of the first years!"

The students cheered their approval, and the first years huddled in front of the podium glanced around nervously. The girl that James recognized as Jackie, Charisma's sister, grinned excitedly and waved at the students as if they were cheering just for her. Lily, who was standing next to her, blushed and tugged her arm down. James smiled, glad Lily was making friends early on. She didn't come to school with cousins like he did, except Hugo, but they weren't close.

"I'll end with a word to the first years." Bainbridge looked down at them. "I am honored to welcome you to our school, which has seen it's share of triumph and tragedy, but every time a new student walks these halls – that is a triumph!" She beamed. "Every one of you is full of potential to be triumphant or tragic, but since just being here is so wonderful, you are already on a proud path to victory! No matter what house you are Sorted in, no matter who your family is, that does not matter. You are in charge of your own destiny, and coming here is where it begins. So take heed and be watchful where you arrange your stars, for they are what lights up your skies."

"A bit of a heavy metaphor, isn't that?" Fred whispered to James.

"Inspiring, though."

Bainbridge smiled. "Now, I don't want to scare you with all this talk of destinies and stars, you'll get plenty of that in Astronomy and Divination –" a ripple of laughter and good-natured groans went across the tables "- so I'll sum this up with something my dear old friend Albus Dumbledore once said." Everyone quieted at the mention of the legendary headmaster. "'It is our choices that show who we truly are, far more than our abilities.'"

With that, Bainbridge turned to the side and said, "Now, on to the Sorting!"

* * *

**Author's note: See that lovely window below? It's for reviews. Don't let the little window be lonely... use it! (Oh, and have a great week, readers!) **


	6. The Four Fortescues

**Author's Note: Okay, I was completely blown away by the response I got to the last chapter (over 500 hits! That's huge!) And I said to myself, "Self, we can't just ignore this kind of awesomeness. We should update early." And Self agreed. Onward, soldiers! **

**P.S. Oh, by the way, I wrote the Hat's song myself - and I couldn't have done it without my friend Liz editing it - but I'm a little nervous about how it turned out. Let me know!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Four Fortescues**

The infamous Sorting Hat, an ancient, dilapidated old thing, was carried out on a cushion along with a plain wooden stool by the school's caretaker, Augustus Baumgartner – a cantankerous but surprisingly chivalrous elderly wizard known affectionately by all as 'Grizzly Gus' – who settled the Hat on the stool, then stepped back.

Headmistress Bainbridge withdrew her wand from the sleeve of her robes and touched it to the wrinkled tip of the Hat (magical maintenance was now needed to keep the poor thing working properly) and whispered, "Time to wake up, my old friend. Goodness knows you're beyond beauty sleep."

The Hat was still for a moment, before the tip started to squirm and slowly stretched. A tear along the hatband widened and opened, and a grouchy groan sounded. "Blegh… is it time for the Sorting already?" The Hat twisted on it's cushion. "Hello Hildy." It wheezed. "Do ya think you could stop waking me up in front of the whole school? A Hat deserves as much primping time as anybody else!" It sniffed indignantly.

Bainbridge smiled and patted its brim. "My deepest apologies. I'll try to remember next year. But for now, I do believe it's time for your song. I've been looking forward to it."

The Hat's folds swelled with pride, and it twisted to face the seated students. It straightened up, cleared its 'throat', opened its mouth rip, and in a raspy baritone, began to sing.

* * *

_Many, many years ago_

_Far longer than once upon a time_

_Four wizards enchanted me_

_And they taught me to rhyme_

_I was given a job_

_To do each year thereafter_

_To Sort the children of Hogwarts_

_By the wizards they take after_

_From then on I did just that_

_And will continue to do today_

_By looking into your heart and soul_

_Your character I will weigh_

_You may belong in Gryffindor _

_The brave, the strong, the true_

_Where those with hearts of lions_

_Stay loyal through and through_

_Or perhaps you fit in Ravenclaw_

_Where logic is of most value_

_It's what's IN your head that counts_

_All else will someday fail you_

_Then there are Hufflepuffs_

_With their kind and loving hearts_

_An admirable House to be in,_

_Where compassion is an art_

_Fourth is House of Slytherin_

_Where the clever and driven hail_

_No matter their unfortunate past,_

_Here the good still prevails_

_This school has seen greatness_

_And depravity in equal measure_

_It is up to each of you now_

_To remember what we treasure_

_This is not a place for hatred_

_Or people who will judge_

_The four Houses should exist in harmony_

_On this I will not budge_

_And now, place me upon the head_

_Of the first of many new wizards_

_I will continue with my legacy _

_To the perfect House you will be delivered._

* * *

Bainbridge beamed at the Hat and joined in with the applauding students and teachers. "Just as I expected, that was wonderful." She praised the Hat, which grunted in response. Bainbridge smiled once more and gestured to her Deputy Headmaster, who was also the head of Gryffindor house, Neville Longbottom.

Neville took her place by the stool and lifted the Hat off the cushion with one hand with a murmured, 'pardon me'. In his other hand he took out his wand and a parchment scroll. He lifted his wand and levitated both the scroll and the Hat, freeing his hands – and cleverly demonstrating his magical prowess to the gawking first years.

Neville waved his wand and unrolled the scroll. He squinted at the list of names, cleared his throat, and called out the first name.

* * *

Charisma found herself biting her lower lip as she watched the first few kids go up and be Sorted. Since their last name was Fortescue, Simon and Jackie would be called up near the beginning of the list. Dominique noticed her friend's anxiety and squeezed her hand.

"Fortescue, Jacqueline."

Charisma sat up and craned her neck. Jackie's head of curls bobbed as she skipped up to the stool. "Hello, Mister Hat!" She greeted the Hat. "I would shake your hand, but…" She shrugged apologetically. Professor Longbottom smiled at the cheerful girl as she sat down.

Charisma giggled at her sister's antics and relaxed. Jackie would be fine.

"She's fine." Dominique whispered, as if reading her mind. Charisma nodded.

But her apprehension returned as the Hat sat in silence on Jackie's head, tilting every now and then as if considering something. Charisma guessed it was remembering herself and Xavier, and was debating between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

_Come on, you old Hat! Sort her already!_

Finally, after a few minutes, the Hat's tip bobbed, as if nodding, and the tear opened wide as it shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

Charisma froze. "Did it just say –"

Dominique finished, "- Hufflepuff?"

Charisma's eyes flew across the room to meet Xavier's, which were wide with shock. _Hufflepuff! _But neither of them were in Hufflepuff! She looked at Jackie, who was stepping off the raised platform with enormous eyes, blinking at the cheering Hufflepuff table in a dazed manner.

Charisma shook herself. _So? Who cares if she's in Hufflepuff! That's a wonderful house! _And she stood up and cheered for her sister too. Dominique joined her.

Professor Longbottom waited for quiet, then called, "Fortescue, Simon." Simon immediately went up, glancing back at his sister, sitting at her new House table, smiling shyly at the kids who were greeting her.

Charisma watched her little brother as the Hat was set on his head, nervous all over again. _What house will Simon be in? _She wondered.

The Hat took even longer with Simon, and after exactly five minutes, it proclaimed to the utter astonishment of the students, "RAVENCLAW!"

Charisma was _not _prepared for that, but she stood and clapped for her brother, seeing Longbottom glancing towards Bainbridge in her peripheral vision. She knew what they were thinking. Four siblings in four different Houses? It was unheard of!

Charisma sat down and turned to stare at Dominique. She asked quietly, "Is what just happened what I think just happened? Or did you slip me some suspicious potion on the train?"

Dominique whispered back, "I was about to ask you the same thing."

Charisma sat, lost in thought as more children were called up and Sorted. She clapped for the new Gryffindors, and vaguely noted that no Sorting took as long as Simon's or Jackie's.

Then she heard familiar name. "Potter, Lily."

The hall began to buzz with whispers at the name of Harry Potter's daughter. Lily blushed but held her head high and marched up to the stool to sit. The Hat was lowered onto her head, and it seemed to smile almost.

Charisma glanced down the table where James was sitting, and noticed him drumming his fingers agitatedly. She smiled to herself. _No matter how much you don't like me right now, we're not so different. _Fred whirled around and grabbed James' hand, scowling. Charisma giggled.

Dominique turned at the sound, and teased, "Oi, stop stalking my cousins, Izzy. People are going to think you fancy one of them."

Charisma rolled her eyes. "They wish."

"That's my girl."

"GRYFFINDOR!" Charisma jumped at the Hat's yell. Lily Potter slid off the stool, smiling as she made her way to their table. Dominique whistled and clapped for her little cousin.

Charisma glanced over to the Slytherin table, seeking out the bespectacled Albus Potter, who was clapping, too. She smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Maybe James would relax, now that there was obviously no cause for worry. Lily was in Gryffindor, and that was fine.

She didn't notice wary glances the teachers cast at Bainbridge, or the way some of the Slytherins were shifting uneasily, looking at Albus as if he didn't belong with them.

James did.

* * *

About halfway through the following meal, Charisma was pushing her food around her plate, lost in thought, when she heard Dominique exclaim, "Jackie! Congrats, _cherie._" Charisma looked up to see her little sister standing beside them, smiling.

"Thanks, Nicky!" Jackie chirped.

Charisma turned around to gather her into a hug and said, "Yeah, congrats, honey."

Jackie pulled away looking nervous. "You mean, you're not angry?"

Charisma blinked. "Angry? Because you're not in Gryffindor?" Jackie nodded shyly. "Aw, love, of _course_ I'm not mad! Surprised, yes, but I think any house that my Jackie is in is just fine for me." Jackie beamed, relieved. Charisma frowned. "Where's Simon?" The two were rarely apart. _I guess that's going to change this year, though. _

Jackie glanced over her shoulder. "Talking to Zave." She said, using her nickname for Xavier that had stuck around since the toddler years, then shrugged and gave an impish smile. "We decided to divide and conquer." Charisma chuckled and tugged on one of Jackie's pigtails.

"Well, I'm sure Xavier will say the same thing to him." She assured the girl.

"Oh!" The sisters jumped as Dominique suddenly spun around with an eager face. "You got your wand, didn't you, Jackie? Let me see it!"

Jackie pulled her wand out of her robe pocket and presented it to Dominique, whom she viewed as much of a sister as Charisma, who took it and asked, "What's the core?"

"Phoenix tears," Jackie said in the manner of someone who wants to be proud, but isn't sure she should be yet. However, Dominique's admiring whistle calmed her fears.

"Blimey, that's a pretty rare core. Relatively new, too." Dominique fingered the intricate designs. "Is this wood… bamboo?"

"Yup!"

Dominique tilted her head. "There's not many wand makers who would use that kind of wood. Except that foreign wizard, the experimenter. You know, Abdul -?"

" –Bagheerat!" Jackie finished excitedly before Charisma could say anything. "That's where I got my wand! Baggy's an old – OW!" Jackie squealed as Charisma pinched her. Jackie immediately recognized her error. "Uh, I stubbed my toe." She muttered.

"'Baggy?'" Dominique's eyebrows shot up and she snickered, "Well, _that's _a charming nickname."

"Oh, everyone down on Diagon Alley calls him that." Charisma waved her hand dismissively. "You know, Brits and their pronunciation. And he's not _all_ that old, Jacqueline." She admonished, taking the opportunity to send her sister a very clear message with her eyes. Jackie flushed.

"Hey, everyone is old to me," She huffed, "I'm only eleven!"

"Usually your argument is that eleven is _plenty _old." Charisma teased. Jackie rolled her eyes. Charisma rolled hers back exaggeratedly. "I'll see you as soon as I can, so go be a good little girl and annoy your brother."

Jackie hurried off. Dominique grinned. "Xavier is going to make you pay for that one."

"On the contrary, I believe this is _my _retribution for all those times I had to babysit alone."

They ate in silence for a moment, until Dominique said, "I wish I was the oldest like you, Izzy."

Charisma looked up with surprise. "Really? Why?"

Dominique shrugged. "I hate being the youngest. I get pushed around by _everyone_ – especially Vicky." She glowered at the Hufflepuff table. "I wish I had the same respect from my family that you get from yours. They don't do a bloody thing without asking you first. Even Xavier, and he doesn't listen to _anybody._" Dominique's brow creased. "It's like you're their mum."

Charisma kept her face impassive, but she reached out and squeezed her friend's hand. "Sometimes I wish someone else was making the decisions. It's a lot of work, being in charge of five people." She sighed heavily.

"Well, at least you get a break when you go home, right?"

"…of course."

* * *

Albus was confused. Even though he had congratulated Lily and was currently goofing off with his roommates and best friends, he was still confused. James was in Gryffindor, Lily was in Gryffindor, and he was in Slytherin. Albus had always been good at mathematics, but this particular equation was not adding up.

He glanced over to where James and Fred were sitting with an Arab kid he couldn't remember the name of. James looked unhappy, but then James always looked unhappy. At least when surrounded by a crowd of people. Albus wished, not for the first time, that he could read his brother's mind.

At least Lily looked like she was getting on well enough, but he had never been worried about that – everyone loved Lily. Apparently, she had inherited that attribute from her namesake.

Albus didn't know what he was supposed to feel. Happiness that Lily was in Gryffindor? Resentful of being the only one in Slytherin? Angry with himself for even _considering _Slytherin while he was being Sorted back in first year? Angry at the cosmos for royally mucking up his life from here on out?

It's no surprise, really, that with all of that going on in his head, Albus settled for confusion.

But he did allow himself a moment to curse his father for naming him after two men who had been known for knowing exactly what to do. Unlike Lily, he was sure he would never be like his namesake.

* * *

Xavier Fortescue had finally managed to fend off his little brother and sister and was feeling quite ready to head up to the dorms and hit the hay when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He groaned, "Merlin's _beard_, Si, if you don't get your scrawny little butt over to the Ravenclaw table by the time I turn around, I am going to –"

A choking laugh from his classmate Rafael Gorbachev made the words die in his throat, along with the fact that when he turned around, it wasn't Simon but Charisma standing there, hands on her hips and one eyebrow arched.

"Oh." He grinned sheepishly. "Hey, Iz."

"Mmm. What was that about a scrawny little butt?" She asked casually, her eyes daring him to answer.

He shrugged. His twin sister may be as intimidating as Hagrid on an empty stomach and as commanding as Bainbridge, but he wasn't scared of her (usually). "Hey, I am trying to prevent myself from going prematurely gray." He retorted. Charisma laughed. "So what's up?"

Before she could answer, Rafael slid closer to them and said, "Why _hello, _Charisma. You just get prettier every year." He winked as he leered.

Xavier shoved him away. "Knock it off, Raf. That's my _sister_." Rafael simply put his hands up as if he couldn't possibly be to blame, his eyes never straying from Charisma. Xavier wondered if he could knock the Russian's teeth in and not get a detention.

Charisma barely glanced at the creep, though, saying, "Hello, Rafael. Not wasting any time this year, are we?"

"They say that if time be the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality."

Charisma smiled a little. "Benjamin Franklin. Cute." Xavier almost grinned at her blasé attitude. Most girls fell all over Rafael's feet, but she didn't give him the time of day, which of course meant Rafael was practically head over heels for her. "They also say patience is a virtue, not that that will help you in this case." She shrugged apologetically, then turned to her Xavier. "Do excuse us, I must talk with my brother."

Rafael smiled devilishly and winked again. "Before you go, _dorogoi, _I have a question." Charisma nodded, while Xavier wondered exactly what that git had called his sister. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

Xavier was literally about to sock him, but Charisma put her hand over his clenched fist and said without missing a beat, "First day back at school; that's a new record. I'm flattered, Rafael, truly, but you're a bit too much of a _mah bxope _for me." Xavier and Raf stared at her in shock for a moment before Rafael burst into laughter.

"_Vy govorite Rossii?" _

_ "Dostatochno." _Charisma replied coolly.

Rafael laughed again and shook his head in amazement. "You may have insulted me, _dorogoi, _but you did it _na russkom yazyke_, and your accent is as flawless as you are, so I am simply all the more infatuated."

Xavier had had enough. "Let's go, Izzy. Before I do something stupid."

"Agreed. Always a pleasure, Rafael."

"_Do sleduyushchego raza, milyi." _

Charisma walked away towards a corner of the Great Hall without so much as a backward glance, but Xavier gave the presumptuous prat his most fearsome glare before following. Gorbachev had the decency to look a little alarmed. Xavier turned to his sister, who was muttering something like 'there's one in every house'. "Since when do you speak Russian?"

"I was sick of him calling me things I didn't understand, so I spent a little extra time with Madame Zbruev this summer." She explained, speaking of one of the vendors at their favorite outdoor market that had a soft spot for their family.

"Yeah, well, I don't give a flying flobberworm if you speak Russian or not, I want you to stay away from him. He may be one of my friends – if I can use that term – but he's a right git."

Charisma rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know. And I'm disappointed in you. Thinking I would go for a guy like him. Or any guy at all, really." She clucked her tongue. Xavier smirked. She was just like their mum when she did that. Then he caught what she said.

"Wait – _any _guy?" His eyes widened. "Do you – um – play for the other team?" That tactful question was rewarded with a hard pinch. "Ow!"

Charisma huffed. "_No, _I don't. And the term is 'lesbian'. I just meant I don't have the time or the patience to act like a giggling floozy. And it's just not a good idea." She finished shortly.

"Oh." He was relieved - he didn't have the time or patience for that either - but also a little guilty. Their… _situation_ meant that Charisma really couldn'thave a boyfriend. Not now (that also meant he couldn't have a girlfriend, either, but he actually liked that idea. Girls gave him headaches).

"Speaking of teams, are you going to try out for Quidditch this year?" Charisma asked him.

Xavier crossed his arms, and answered brusquely, "No. Of course not." Charisma gave him one of her legendary Looks, and he added, "I mean, I want to, but I know I can't." Charisma's face fell, and he cursed himself for saying that. _Idiot. Now she's upset. _"Hey, don't look like that. I know the rules. It's _not _your fault, Iz." He made sure she was looking at him. "I mean it. It's not your fault. That's just the way it is."

Charisma gave him a half-hearted smile. "Yeah. Okay."

Xavier distracted her, "Didn't you have something to talk to me about?"

Her face became serious. He hated when she looked like that. "Yes, I did." She pulled at one of her curls; a nervous habit she had never really dropped. "Simon and Jackie."

He let out his breath in a _whoosh. _"Right. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw."

She glanced towards the faculty table. "It's not good, Zave. We've attracted attention. It was bad enough when _we _were put in separate houses, but everyone was too wound up about James' – um, the Potter girl starting at Hogwarts to care. But now…"

Xavier ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. I see what you're saying… hey. Maybe the other Potter kid, what's-her-name, will keep attention away from us?"

Charisma tugged her curls again. "I had hoped so, but unfortunately, our dear little social butterfly of a sister managed to make friends with Lily Potter on the train ride, and Simon got to know Hugo Weasley." She sighed. "And four siblings in four houses is a bit hard to ignore."

Xavier groaned. "You're joking. _Two _kids from the Golden Trio's family?"

"I know. This just means we have to be extra careful from now on. And we _cannot. _Break_. _The rules_._" She intoned, then sighed again, "Which means we have to keep a close eye on Jackie and Simon. They're bound to slip up now and again, so we need to be there cover it up."

Xavier frowned. "You keep saying 'we', but we both know that when this conversation is over, you're going to try to do it all by yourself." She bit her lip and shifted her weight. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Xavier was frustrated. She did so much already, and he knew they all took her for granted, so he wanted to starting really pulling his weight.

He had a sudden burst of inspiration. "I'm going to get a job."

Her head snapped up. "What? No!"

"Merlin, why not?" He retorted. "We need the extra money, and I have the extra time."

She faltered. "But… you have schoolwork to do. And I already have a job!" At his _so?_ Look, she added, "Besides, who will keep an eye on Jackie and Simon if we're both working?"

He gave her a flat stare. "They're eleven, not two. And we are at _school. _Maybe the teachers will do their bloody job and keep an eye on them! And you have just as much schoolwork as I do!"

"You're not getting a job."

"You can't tell me what to do." They glared at each other. Then he added, more gently. "We're twins, Izzy. Partners. Whatever we do, we do it together. Savvy?" Her face softened.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden swell of noise. It was time to go back to the dorms for the night. Charisma sighed. "We'll finish this discussion later."

"I'm not going to back down this time."

She sighed. She was doing that entirely too much lately. "I know." She murmured, then hugged him fiercely, surprising him. He hugged back. "Night, Zave."

"Night, Iz."

"Remember the rules."

"Will you go away?"

She giggled and ran off, probably to find that blonde Goth chick she was always with, and Xavier let himself slump against the wall. _Remember the rules._

He was sick of those blasted rules, but they were necessary. Along with everything else they did that most people wouldn't understand. _Why go to so much trouble? _People would ask, if they knew. He used to have an answer.

He wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *

**Translation of the conversation between Charisma and Rafael (rough translation from Russian, I tried my best!):**

**Dorogoi - darling**

**Mah bxope - man whore**

**Vy govorite Rossii - you speak Russian?**

**Dostatochno - enough**

**Na russkom yazyke - in Russian**

**Do sleduyushchego raza, milyi - Until next time, my dear**

**Author's note: Wow, what a chapter! (am I allowed to say that, being the author?) Now, I have a few questions for my readers. What do you think of my characters so far? Especially my OCs, the Fortescues. If you don't think you know enough yet, that's fine. **

**I also want to know what you think the Fortescues' secret is. ****_I _****know, of course (mwahaha) but I want to hear your ideas. **

**_Do sleduyushchego raza, chitateli!_**

**-EMC**


	7. Roommates

**Author's Note: TGIF! Sorry I posted this chapter so late guys, but I was totally wiped after a looooong week of school and some very annoying teachers (grrr)...um, hope you like this chapter, and I'm going to shut up now.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Roommates**

Dominique collapsed onto her bed. "That was the _longest _day of my life." She heard Charisma laugh from nearby.

"That's what you say every year."

Dominique rolled over to look at her friend and mumbled, "Well, that's because it feels that way every year." She dragged herself into a sitting position. "And I'll say it again tomorrow." She kicked off her shoes and shed her school robe, under which she wore her street clothes.

"And every day after that, too." Charisma teased, laughing as she dodged one of Dominique's shoes that was thrown in her direction. "But I thought you liked the first day of classes."

"Have I ever given that impression? There must be another Dominique Weasley running around who loves school, otherwise I'd have to rethink our friendship." Charisma rolled her eyes and threw back the shoe. "Speaking of friends," Dominique continued, "Where are our lovely roommates?" This was said with a tinge of sarcasm; Dominique didn't exactly get along with them.

"Oh, they probably won't be up for a while yet… a lot of upperclassmen are still in the common room." Charisma said. "And you really should try to be a bit more friendly this year, Nicky." She admonished.

Dominique scrunched up her nose. "Well, maybe they could all try to have a bit more _personality."_ She retorted. "Besides, it's not like you're down their braiding hair with them either. So stop pulling the Mother Charisma act on me."

"Ooh, them's fightin' words, Nicky." Charisma drawled. Dominique rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. Most people would stomp away in righteous indignation or engage in verbal combat, but Charisma knew her friend too well and was too good of a friend herself to do that. Dominique felt the bed sink down beside her. "So… when you say 'more personality, you actually mean 'less like Victoire', don't you?"

Dominique winced. Leave it to Charisma to hit the nail on the head. "No." _Yes. _

"Hmm." Charisma was not convinced. "Want to talk about it?"

"No." _Yes._

"Did she say something to you?"

"No." _Yes._

"I take it she was being what you call 'Vexatious Vicky' – and have I ever congratulated you on that stunning use of vocabulary?"

"_Merci. _But no and no." _Yes..._ (Dominique had been alliterating her sister's name with whatever antagonistic adjective she thought appropriate for a few years. Vexatious Vicky was her default for when Victoire was being what most people call a 'typical older sister').

"She most likely said something along the lines of you being immature and could you please not embarrass her this year, and stop talking to Shelley Shacklebolt?"

"No."

"All these 'no's have actually been 'yes', haven't they?"

Dominique groaned into her pillow. "No?" Charisma laughed. Dominique rolled over to look at her friend. "Alright, yes. Why does she feel the need to make me feel so… _lame?" _Charisma gave her a sympathetic look Dominique would tolerate from no one else.

"Speaking as an older sister, I'm pretty sure she means well. She's just not very good at communication. You should understand that." Dominique shot her a glare, but Charisma arched an eyebrow, and she relented with a shrug. "Anyway, you know her much better that I do. Anything advice I give you is pure speculation."

"Well, you _would _know her better if you _visited _me every once in a while." Dominique huffed. "I did invite you over the summer holiday, remember?"

"I'll visit on a holiday this year." Charisma promised like she did every time Dominique brought it up.

"I should make you take the Unbreakable Vow."

Charisma smacked her with a pillow.

Before that could evolve into a full-scale pillow fight, a slightly squeaky bark sounded nearby. The girls froze, then a grin lit up Charisma's face. "Whiskey!" Dominique gave her a bizarre look. Charisma scrambled back over to her bed where her luggage was, kneeling beside her bed. Dominique heard another bark and a small whine.

"You got a _dog?" _Dominique exclaimed, finally putting two and two together (and she would later firmly deny thinking that Charisma had brought alcohol into their dorm). Charisma emerged, holding a medium-sized carrier.

"Not a dog, exactly." Charisma said, unlatching the door and letting it swing open. Out tumbled a ball of cream-coloured fur. "Xavier and I took Simon and Jackie to get familiars," that was the official name for pets of wizards, "And decided to get ones for ourselves, too."

Dominique watched the ball of fur uncurl into a tiny little thing, with four legs, a wagging tail, and rather large ears. "Aww – it's adorable!" She squealed, her inner girl reacting to the combination of big eyes set in a furry face. "Er, what is it?"

Charisma scratched it behind it's ears. "The owner said it was called a Fennec Fox. I named him Whiskey. He's very sweet." She scooped it up and cuddled it to her chest.

Dominique suddenly remembered her own pet. "Oh! I almost forgot about Pistachio!" Pistachio was her sugar glider, a small possum-like animal with flying squirrel tendencies. She searched for the cage, and opened it when she found it. Dominique gently picked up her pet, setting him atop one of her bedposts. She eyed Whiskey. "That thing better not try to eat Pistachio."

Charisma was affronted. "Of course not!"

Dominique asked what kind of pets her siblings had gotten, glad that Charisma was distracted from the Victoire discussion.

"Oh, Xavier got an iguana he let Jackie name Fergus," Dominique snickered. "Simon got a turtle he named Archimedes - some Muggle mathematician -" _Really, it's no wonder the kid got put in Ravenclaw _"and Jackie got this adorable little rabbit she named Snickerdoodle. That's her favorite type of cookie."

Dominique smiled, "You never volunteer this kind of information about your family." She realized. Charisma paused, then laughed a little, shrugging.

"We're all very private. I know about as much about them as I tell you." She said. Dominique doubted this for less than a second. Charisma wasn't a liar. "Oh, did I tell you that Rafael Gorbachev asked me to Hogsmeade?"

Dominique was instantly distracted. "What?! He did not!" As the girls indulged in shameless gossip like the teenagers they were, Dominique couldn't help but wonder if what Charisma was saying was true – that she really was just private – or if there was something she wasn't telling her.

_Well, with four Fortescues at Hogwarts, I should find out soon enough. It's probably nothing, though. _With that, Dominique dismissed that train of thought and delved back into the conversation.

* * *

Charisma breathed an inner sigh of relief as she spun her tale of the traumatizing experience of being asked out by a Russian Slytherin. She was glad she had talked to Xavier about taking extra care this year, they would need it. From the number of curious looks and questions that toed the line of being in the 'safe zone', it was going to be a truly exhausting year.

_I knew we should have sent Simon and Jackie to Beauxbatons or Durmstrang. _

Charisma immediately pushed that thought away. It wouldn't do to keep second guessing herself. Even though she did that with every single decision she made. It was hard to be confident, when you have to make decisions for six people all the time.

_But they need me to be confident. I need to be strong for them… and less melodramatic. _

The door to the dorm flew open, admitting the girls' roommates: Bronwyn Perdue, Meredith Oswald, and Francesca Allerdyce. Dominique sighed quietly. "Hullo, dears!" Bronwyn chirruped, sashaying over to her bed, followed by Meredith and Francesca, where they promptly sat, perched like three birds on a telephone wire.

"Hello." Charisma smiled at them, nudging Dominique until she repeated the greeting.

"So nice to see you! How was your holiday?" Bronwyn continued, smiling with bright white teeth.

"It was lovely… and yours?"

"Oh, fine!"

Charisma chewed her lip in the silence that followed, feeling quite uncomfortable under the unblinking stares of the three girls and their wide smiles. She noticed there was a hypertension to the way they were sitting. "Is… there something you want to say?" She asked delicately.

Bronwyn's smile grew. "Well, yes."

Charisma waited, her eyebrows lifting with each passing second. Eventually Dominique said impatiently, "Well, what do you need to bloody tell her?"

To their surprise, Bronwyn blushed, and Meredith and Francesca twittered and giggled on either side of her. Charisma tried not roll her eyes. She had nothing against her roommates, but Dominique was quite right; they _did _need a bit more personality. She assumed their very goal in life was to be just like Victoire Weasley: popular, beautiful, confident, with a good-looking, devoted boyfriend.

Bronwyn leaned forward eagerly. "I wanted to ask you about your brother, Charisma."

"My… you mean Xavier?"Charisma was confused.

"Yup," Bronwyn giggled. "I wanted to know if he, um, has a girlfriend… or if he fancies someone."

Charisma's eyes widened as she made the connection. "You _fancy _my _brother?" _

"I don't _fancy _him." Bronwyn protested. "Well, not yet. I just think he's… rather nice-looking."

Francesca smirked. "Oh, really?" She said. "I do believe your exact words were 'complete and utter dreamboat'." Charisma resisted the urge to shudder. Why was it that when girls got like this they forgot that boys still burped and farted and made inappropriate jokes… and were as obnoxious as possible, whenever possible. Xavier included.

Bronwyn gasped and giggled. "Frannie!" She protested. "I told you that in _confidence!" _

"Don't call me Frannie." Francesca said with the bored and annoyed look of someone who had said that many times. Bronwyn shrugged and turned back to her victim, bombarding her with rapid fire questions about Xavier's likes, dislikes, hobbies, pet peeves… Charisma was debating the propriety of using a stunning spell on her.

A sudden harsh tapping on the dorm window interrupted Bronwyn's assault. The girls jumped. Dominique frowned. "An owl already?" She went to the window and opened it; the owl dropped five envelopes on the nearest bed and flew out the window with a hoot.

Bronwyn leapt up to go see the mail, and Charisma fell backward onto Dominique's bed with relief. _That girl could've given Death Eater interrogators a run for their money. _She was surprised at herself for the thought. How long had it been before she could joke about such things?

Dominique interrupted her brooding by dropping one of the envelopes on her face. Her name was on it in bold script. "There's one for each of us." Dominique said, looking down where her own name was staring back at her. She slid her finger under the flap and tugged, tearing the envelope open. Inside was a single sheet of folded parchment. She scanned it and said, "Oh, it's just class schedules."

The other girls quickly opened up their envelopes to compare classes, which would consist of the seven required subjects and at least two others chosen by the student. Charisma's eyes ran down the list in front of her. _History of Magic, Charms, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, and Astronomy._

Dominique snatched the parchment out of Charisma's hand, "Let me see!" She demanded oh-so-courteously. "Oh, bollocks, we only have six classes together!" She complained. "Oi, Izzy, why are you taking bloody Astronomy again? I thought you were going to take Apparation with me this year!"

"I love Astronomy." Charisma defended her position. "It's fun. Besides, I'm not of age yet." She said truthfully. "What other classes don't we have together?"

"Our Charms and CMC periods are switched." Dominique said. "At least we have all the boring classes together – honestly, whose brilliant idea was it to make History of Magic a morning class? Oh well, I'll just relabel it 'nap time'," She said, charming a quill tip to come from the end of her wand.

"We have DADA and Transfiguration together, too." Charisma added. "Those are usually fun classes." Dominique sulked.

"I hate it when I have to turn my poor Pistachio into inanimate objects," She grumbled. "It's inhumane." Then she brightened, "Oh, we have Neville… er, Professor Longbottom for Herbology again – they found someone new for DADA." Charisma smiled. Longbottom always made Herbology interesting. And he always had amusing stories to tell about the 'glory days' back when he was in school.

In fact, a good percentage of the faculty were Hogwarts alumni, mostly from the years of Harry Potter and the Second Wizarding War. It was historically the youngest group of teachers on average Hogwarts had ever seen.

"Do you know who the new DADA professor is, Nicky?" Charisma asked.

Dominique shrugged. "_Je ne sais pas." _She frowned. "I'm pretty sure my parents know who, but they wouldn't tell me. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

"RISE AND SHINE!"

James moaned and covered his head to block the cursed sunlight that streamed in from the window, whose curtains had been thrown back by Frederick Weasley ll himself. James, not all together coherent, wondered not for the first time what freak accident of genetics had made Fred a morning person.

He was a teenage boy. Just wasn't natural.

"WAKEY WAKEY, EGGS AND BAKEY!" Fred crowed, waving his wand at the other side of the room, uncurtaining the other windows and generally making himself sworn enemy to every one of his roommates.

"You'd better _hope _you have eggs and bacon waiting for me, otherwise I will murder you cheerfully." Rashid growled from his bed, which was directly in the target area of the sun's rays.

"That's not very nice, Mussy." Fred pouted. He surveyed the room, whose inhabitants showed no intention of waking, then with a practiced flick of his wand, stripped the beds of their covers. And, quite on accident, the boys sleeping on them. "Oops." Fred winced.

James disentangled himself from his covers on the cold floor, cursing, and in retaliation grabbed his cousin's ankle, dragging him into their daily wrestling match.

"And there they go, right on schedule." Rashid shook his head and yawned, as he and their other two roommates, Miguel Altivo and Logan Edmunds, went about their morning routine, unconcerned by the display of 'familial love' from James and Fred.

At last James decided that his vengeance had been properly wreaked, he released Fred from the headlock he had him trapped in and went to get his school robes from his still unpacked trunks. "Hey mate, have you looked at your schedule yet?" They too had received their class schedules in a similar fashion to the girls.

"Yeah." James responded, his voice muffled by the shirt he was pulling on. "I looked at yours, too. We have all the same classes, except I'm taking Astronomy and you're taking Apparation."

"What? Why?" Fred complained. "We've always had the same schedules, for five bloody years! I thought we were pals! Partners! Comrades! Companions! C –"

"Oi, cut the bloke a break." Logan intervened. A gruff but well-meaning boy with a powerful physique from years of being a Quidditch beater who thought Fred should be listed as an official Magical Creature (or an allergen), he generally kept to himself, but James liked him well enough. Especially when he served as figurative beater for the bludger named Fred. "It's just one class, it's not like he's divorcing you."

"As good as." Fred muttered. He wasn't exactly bosom friends with Logan, either.

"Are we going to go down to breakfast, or what?" Miguel cut in impatiently. "Because I will leave without you all."

"No need to make threats, now." Rashid cautioned, not wanting to provoke the wrath of the temperamental Spaniard, who had an appetite the size of the Black Lake. The boys had learned long ago not to leave him and a plate of food unsupervised.

"Nah, go on ahead." Fred said. "Me and James here are going to be escorting two lovely ladies to breakfast." James' head shot up and he fixed his friend with a hard stare. Fred rolled his eyes and mouthed 'Dominique'. James relaxed. There had been many an awkward blind date James had had to endure thanks to Fred.

"Dominique?" Rashid piped up hopefully. "Can I come with you guys?"

"N –"

"Absolutely!" Fred interrupted James, clapping Rashid on the back. "After all, who are we to stand between you and true love?" He sighed deeply and put his hand over his heart. James felt betrayed. Since when had he and Fred decided to play matchmaker for their cousin, who might very well eviscerate them for it?

_Eh, it's too early to argue. _James said to himself, and decided to go along with it, for the entertainment. Hopefully Dominique would expel most of her wrath on Fred.

Soon after, James found himself down in the Gryffindor common room, with a rather nervous Rashid and an amused Fred. "Just don't look her in the eye." He was currently advising their roommate.

James snorted. "She's a _girl_, not a Basilisk."

"Same thing," Fred shrugs. "Especially at certain times of the month." He added in a whisper. James and Rashid broke up into disbelieving laughter. Fred could be quite outrageous sometimes.

"Talking about a girl's private life, are we? For shame, Freddie."

Fred whipped around, a look of sheer terror on his face, as down the stairs from the girls' dormitories came Dominique, followed by a snickering Charisma. "Dominique! My most beloved family member in the whole world!" Fred cried, spreading his arms wide.

"Don't say that so easily, Frederick." Dominique warned, slapping his hands away. "We've quite a lot of family members, you know."

Fred pouted. "I say you're my favorite, above my dad, mum, Roxy, and even _James_, and you can't even spare me a 'good morning' hug?" He said in a wounded tone.

Dominique rolled her eyes, excessively outlined with that black makeup stuff girls were always wearing. James didn't understand why girls were always caking that gunk on. Wasn't the point of eyelids and eyelashes to keep stuff _out _of your eyeball?

He glanced at Charisma, whose voluminous hair had been caught back into a ponytail, her wide eyes framed by brown square frames. _She _didn't wear makeup, not that she needed it.

_Geez, Potter, stop being a biddy. That's the broad who practically tanned your hide last night, remember? _

Fred had spotted Charisma, too, and exclaimed with a goofy grin, "Maybe _this _fair maiden will spare me the joy of unashamed affection." He said, reaching to give her a hug. Charisma laughed and dodged his arms.

"Don't give Nicky another reason to disown me." She said. "She's already in a state because we don't have all the same classes together."

"Can we go get breakfast now? _Before _the end of term?" James interrupted, hunger plaguing his stomach and heightening his irritation with Fred's friendliness. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned Gryffindor loyalty? _Bloody Weasley. _

* * *

If Fred hadn't been best friends with James since their toddler years - he claimed it was the womb – he may have wondered how James could sulk through breakfast (especially _this _breakfast; the kitchen elves had outdone themselves), but Fred had long since learned that when James was in a mood, let him be. He would come around sooner or later.

He could not, however, understand the cause of this particular mood. Oh, he knew the _general _cause: James didn't like Charisma. But Fred was still baffled as to why his cousin had let this girl get under his skin (then he factored in the crazy curly hair and the long legs and figured there were worse people to be under one's skin).

At some point during the meal, Fred learned from Said Mood-causer that she was taking Astronomy instead of Apparation. He had almost blurted out that James was doing the same, then analyzed his scowling friend stabbing his toast with the knife down the table as Charisma pointedly ignored him, then decided that he would keep this bit of information to himself.

And as they went off to their first class of the day (which, coincidentally, the four of them shared) he grinned to himself and thought, _this is going to be quite an interesting year._

* * *

**Author's note: See you next week! p.s. if my Ballad of Hogwarts readers see this, my story update for that might be a wee bit late. Sorry!**


	8. I Just Bloody Love Crumpets

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, guys! To make up for it, I'm going to post another chapter within the next few days. **

* * *

**Chapter Seven: I Just Bloody Love Crumpets **

When James had learned Charisma was in History of Magic with him, he did not care. He had expected that much; there were only so many sixth-year Gryffindors.

When she had shown up in his Charms and Herbology classes, he gritted his teeth but still 'didn't care'. Even though she was outright ignoring him – except for the odd glance she probably thought he didn't see – and Fred was obnoxiously delighted to see her; he even invited her to sit with them when Dominique wasn't there for Charms, James had resolutely decided that even though Charisma Fortescue was a pain in the neck that _wouldn't go away, _he didn't care about her, or her opinions about him.

At least, that's what he told himself.

Then came fourth period. Charisma was chatting with Dominique and some other girls he didn't know as they walked to their DADA class. James idly wondered why the hallways in this part of the castle seemed so …crowded. At some point, he noticed that kids were walking the opposite direction, looking confused.

"Oi," Fred said, watching a pair of Gryffindors walk by, "Aren't those two sixth years with us?"

"I think so." James replied slowly.

"And don't all sixth year Gryffindors take Defense class together?"

"Yeah…"

Fred scratched his head. "Then why are they going in the opposite direction of us?"

"I have no idea." Fred gave him a look that said, _what are you even good for? _Then they heard Dominique's voice pipe up from behind them.

"Hey, what's going on here? …FRED! JAMES!"

Fred hollered back (even though they were barely ten feet from each other), "YES, DOMINIQUE DEAREST?"

"IS IT JUST ME, OR HAS THE CASTLE LAYOUT BEEN REARRANGED RECENTLY?"

Fred paused, then shouted back, "INDEED, THERE DOES SEEM TO BE A MIX UP." James winced at Fred's decibel level, and unintentionally caught Charisma's eye. She had covered her ears and gave him a rueful smile. James instinctively returned it before remembering he didn't like her and turned away to smack his cousin into silence.

"Hey, Potter, Weasley!" They turned to see Rashid, accompanied by Miguel and Logan, approaching. "We gotta go to the Great Hall!"

Fred laughed. "Mustafa, it's not lunch yet. Your stomach is getting ahead of itself – and isn't that Altivo's job anyway?" Miguel rolled his eyes.

Rashid shook his head, "No, I mean we're having class in there today. There was a sign on the DADA room."

"What?" James frowned. "That's new…"

Rashid nodded. "Yeah, and we were hoping you knew what's up, seeing as you lot are practically related to the entire school board."

Fred shrugged, "Alas, we cannot aid you in your quest for knowledge. We know not what caused this cross-castle class confusion, me nor my cousins." He grinned. "Ooh, that was one awesome alliteration, am I right?" He chortled.

Dominique walked over and prodded the redhead with her wand, before grabbing his jaw and forcing it open so she could peer inside. "Um, personal space, Dom?"

"I was just seeing if your dad had put one of his gadgets in there. That would explain your complete and utter lunacy." She grinned toothily as the others laughed. James shook his head. _Of all the families to be born into…_

"Let's go the Great Hall so we can find out what's going on." He decided, leading them back down the hall.

* * *

Charisma had barely walked into the Great Hall before Dominique exclaimed, "Izzy, is that _Xavier?" _

Even as she turned to look, she snorted, "Impossible. He's a Slytherin. We don't share…" Her eyes fell on her brother's tall figure. "Merlin, why are the Slytherins here?"

Dominique scanned the room. "Slytherins… and Ravenclaws… and Hufflepuffs… the entire sixth year is here!" She pointed. "And look at all the teachers – is that _Bainbridge?" _

Charisma thought, _What I want to know is why you spotted my twin brother before I did. _Then her friend's words sank in. "The Headmistress?" Sure enough, there she was, talking with two robed women who were not teachers. They were standing in the center of a large square formed by four rows of chairs. Each row was a different color for each house: red, green, blue, and yellow.

Dominique grabbed her hand. "C'mon, Iz, let's go grab a seat." She was about to drag her off when someone else grabbed Charisma's other hand.

"_Privet, dorogoi."_

Charisma rolled her eyes as she turned. "Hello, Rafael. Can I help you with something?"

Rafael grinned. "Just stand there and be beautiful." He said smoothly, lifting her hand to his lips. Charisma sighed. _I should've seen that coming. _She was vaguely aware of Dominique's flabbergasted stare from behind her.

"How very misogynistic of you." She said drily, pulling her hand away from his mouth. "And you should know better than to do that with my brother nearby."

"Love makes fools out of us all." Raf replied dramatically.

"Yeah, well, they also say love is blind." Xavier growled, coming up behind his housemate. "Do you want me to take that literally?" he said dangerously, pointing towards Rafael's eyes. Raf winced.

"Hi, Xavier." Charisma greeted her brother, flashing him a grateful grin.

"Hey, Zave." Dominique echoed. Xavier nodded at her.

"We'll be going now." He said, grabbing Raf's arm and hauling over to the row of green chairs. Raf sent Charisma a parting wink and blew her a kiss. Charisma shook her head.

"Merlin's _beard." _ Dominique laughed. "That boy is completely mad over you."

"That's one word for him." Charisma agreed. "Can we go sit down now, please?"

"Maybe you should consider his offer about going to Hogsmeade with him." Dominique continued. "He's not exactly bad looking, you know." She said, boldly appraising the Russian. "Pretty fit, actually."

"Nicky, stop." Charisma pleaded. "He's going to think I fancy him!"

"I don't think he cares about that." Dominique snickered evilly. "In fact, I think he sees you as a challenge."

Charisma wrinkled her nose. "So what, I should act like those awful girls that throw themselves at him? Please." She scoffed.

Dominique shrugged. "Hey, I'm just stating the facts." She steered Charisma over to the Gryffindor side of the square. "Let's go find a seat… I really don't want to sit by Rashid."

"Rashid's a nice fellow." Charisma said. "I think _you _should consider _him." _

"Sorry, Boy Talk time is over!" Dominique sang. "All commenting on my love life will be disregarded from here on out." She declared.

Charisma laughed. "You're a real brat, you know that?"

* * *

"…and then the Hippogriff said to Merlin, 'no, I just bloody love crumpets!'"

Fred doubled over in laughter, then ran smack into his cousin, who had come to a dead stop in the doorway of the Great Hall. "OOMPH!" He gasped.

"Watch where you're going!" James snapped.

"Watch where you're _standing_!" Fred retorted, rubbing his stomach.

James glowered at him, then stomped off.

Rashid, miffed that the appreciation of his comedy had been cut short, groused, "What's got his knickers in a twist?"

Fred shrugged, but his eyes went to the place James had been looking when he came in. His eyebrows shot up when he saw Charisma freeing herself from Rafael Gorbachev's grasp. Gorbachev was a known girl-stealer among the male population of Hogwarts, in fact, his nickname was 'the Bird Catcher'.

Fred let out a low whistle, watching his cousin storm away. "So _that's _how it is." He murmured.

"What?" Rashid asked.

Fred shook his head. "Nothing, Mustafa." _Not yet, anyway. _"Let's go get some seats." As they walked towards the Gryffindor side, he added, "Tell me another joke, that last one was brilliant…"

* * *

As luck would have it, James ended up with the last empty seat… next to Charisma. _Bloody hell. _He thought to himself. They regarded each other warily as he sat down, then by some unspoken agreement decided to completely ignore the other. James did not miss the glance Dominique and Fred exchanged behind their backs.

James would have been perfectly happy to sit in silence and wait for the class to start, but Fred would have none of that. Instead, he leaned over James and said conversationally, "Charisma, I didn't know you and Rafael Gorbachev were together."

Somehow, James resisted the urge to hex his cousin's tongue out.

Charisma blinked. "What?"

Fred gasped. "Why, did my eyes deceive me? For I could swear I just witnessed you and he in quite the romantic embrace." He waggled his eyebrows.

Charisma laughed. "Gods, no!" She wrinkled her nose. "Rafael is just… overly confident." She sighed. "Quite a pest, actually."

James felt a strange, traitorous inkling of relief.

Dominique snorted from the other side of Charisma. "The boy is head over heels for you, Iz."

Charisma shrugged. "I'm just amusing to him, like a game. It's a bit insulting, actually." She said nonchalantly.

James was surprised. From what he knew, girls liked it when boys gave them such attention, even from worms like Gorbachev.

"I thought girls liked that kind of thing." Fred echoed his thoughts.

Charisma shook her head. "Give me some credit, Fred. I'm not like every other girl. I haveself respect."

James felt some grudging admiration for her. She really _wasn't _like other girls.

"Shh!" Dominique hissed. "Bainbridge is going to speak."

Sure enough, in the middle of the square, Bainbridge was raising her hands for quiet. She smiled. "Hello, sixth years." She greeted them. There was a general mumbling of hellos. "I hope you're enjoying your first day of classes." The response was somewhat less enthusiastic.

Bainbridge shook her head. "And here I though you all had matured over the holidays." The students gasped their offense.

"That you would think such a thing of me, Headmistress… my heart may never recover." Fred kneeled on the floor dramatically. Bainbridge regarded him dubiously, but her eyes twinkled.

"I think you'll make it, Mr. Weasley." She said drily. Fred grinned and got back in his seat. James just shook his head. Fred was lucky Bainbridge had a sense of humor. If what his father said was true, some of the former professors would have landed Fred's arse in detention before you could say 'Merlin's Beard'.

"Anyway, I'm sure you're all wondering what's going on here." Bainbridge continued. "Well, by way of explanation, I'd like to introduce you to our guests." She motioned to the women with her, a petite woman with light blonde hair and dreamy grey eyes, the other a tall brunette with a strong jaw and challenging dark eyes. "Students, this is Mrs. Luna Scamander and Mrs. Katie Wood."

Low murmurs swept through the hall at the names.

James' eyes widened. "Aunt Luna?!" He gawked. "She looks so different!"

"Well, we haven't seen her for at least five years." Fred reminded him.

Bainbridge motioned for quiet. "I see you recognize the names, and with good reason. These two women were among those who fought in the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998." She led the room in a round of applause. Katie Wood grinned proudly, while Luna smiled sweetly and joined in the clapping. Bainbridge went on, "This year in Defense Against the Dark Arts, instead of using the usual curriculum with a single professor, a decision was made to make this class a year-long seminar, with guest speakers coming in each week to teach a new subject."

"So that's why our parents couldn't tell us who the teachers were!" Dominique whispered, "We don't have one!"

Bainbridge said, "Some of the guest professors you can expect to see this year will include Professor Longbottom," there were some grins and yes's, "Mr. Lee Jordan and Ms. Alicia Spinnet, Mrs. Cho Huang, Madame Patil and her sister Padma, and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Weasley," James' eyes widened, he stared at Fred and Dominique, "In fact, many of the Weasleys will be coming in this year, as well as…" she paused and glanced at James. "Ron and Hermione Weasley, and Ginny and Harry Pottter."

James stiffened as all eyes in the room landed on him, and the murmurs escalated into a buzz of voices. "You knew and you didn't tell us?" Fred asked him.

"I didn't know anything." James replied flatly. Charisma's eye flashed to his.

_Thanks for the bloody warning, Mum and Dad, _he thought darkly.

* * *

**Translations: **

**privet - hi**

**dorogoi - darling**

**Author's note: I'm not going to be one of those really annoying authors that won't update without a certain number of reviews, but I would like a few :) just sayin'**


	9. Erumpent Horn

**Author's note: Wow, Chapter eight! This is coming along pretty fast for me... maybe not for you though. Sorry this update was a little late, guys. Anyway, hope it's still good!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Erumpent Horn**

"Well." Dominique said after the seminar had ended. "_That _was interesting." They had just spent an hour or so being taught about how to protect yourself from Umgubular Slashkitlers by Luna Scamander, which involved a series of somewhat peculiar spells and the employment of herbs no one had heard of before. After that rather disorienting lecture, Katie Wood had taught them a much more practical lesson about identifying and deactivating cursed objects.

"I for one don't see the point in taking DADA." Fred said.

Charisma, who was walking arm in arm with Dominique, leaned around and asked, "Really? Why not?" The question was asked casually, but James heard a distinct edge to her voice.

Fred shrugged. "Well, being in our family, we've been taught about magical defense ever since we were born. We kind of already know all this stuff."

Charisma frowned slightly. "Not everyone has the luxury of being taught defense by the Golden Trio." James' eyes narrowed at her tone. There was an emotion there that he couldn't quite place.

Fred just shrugged again. "True, true, but really, why do we need the class anyway? Voldemort's gone – Uncle Harry took care of that – and the world's all fine and dandy now."

Charisma stiffened. Dominique shook her head. "Bloody good job, Freddie." She patted his shoulder. "I'll come to your funeral." Fred blinked in confusion and opened his mouth, but didn't get a word out before Charisma stopped in front of him, hands on hips and eyes flashing.

James and Dominique wisely stepped out of the way. _Maybe now Fred will understand why I don't like this girl. _James thought smugly.

"Listen here, Fred Weasley –" Charisma glanced at James and faltered when she saw his face. She turned back to Fred, who was starting to look like he realized he shouldn't have said that. She dropped her hands with a sigh. "Evil is never truly gone." She said quietly.

Then she turned and walked away.

James felt a strange knot in his stomach at her words, but covered his unease with a scowl in Fred's direction. "How come when _I_ say something she doesn't like, she explodes like an Erumpent horn, but with you she just walks away?"

Fred grinned. "What can I say? No woman can resist the Wondrous Womanizing Weasley Wiles."

"Charisma can." Dominique countered.

"Poor girl must be dotty." Fred said, clucking his tongue sympathetically.

"You can say that again." James muttered.

Dominique whirled on her cousin. "What is your _problem, _James?"

"What'd I do?"

Dominique glared at him. "See, _this _is why I never introduced Charisma to you two prats." She said, pointing at him and Fred.

"What'd _I _do?" Fred echoed James.

Dominique made a sound of disgust and turned back to James. "You treat every person you meet like they've done something to personally offend you. And _you _can't take anything seriously!" She said to Fred. "Couldn't you tell that Charisma was upset?"

"Um –"

"Don't answer that." Dominique cut him off. She shook her head. "You two need to get over yourselves." She faced James. "Until you can stop acting like such a git, and Fred stops treating everything like a joke, I refuse to associate with either of you."

Fred's face was turning red, a sure sign he was getting mad. "Oh, what a horrible punishment." He said sarcastically. "A few Dominique-free days. What_ever_ shall we do?"

James took his best friend's arm. "Let's just leave, Fred."

"Good idea." Fred said, casting one last dark look at Dominique. "Any longer and I'm going to get a rash from being rubbed the wrong way."

Dominique gritted her teeth, and in a flash had her wand out, sending a streak of purple light towards her unsuspecting cousins. Instantly Fred and James found themselves covered in bright pink hives. "How's _that _for a rash, Frederick?"

Fred let out a string of creative curses and grabbed his wand.

James lunged forward. "Fred, don't –"

"_Anteoculatia!_"

Dominique soon found herself with a rather obnoxious set of antlers. She shrieked in anger.

"_Densaugeo!"_

_ "Engorgio!"_

_ "Steleus!"_

James scrambled out of the way, dodging the stray spells that flew about him. "Bloody hell, you two, cut it out!" He shouted. All this did was cause Dominique to send a Bedazzling hex in his direction. And given James' temper, he was soon casting return hexes of his own.

"_PROTEGO!" _

The three cousins were abruptly blasted away from each other by the incredibly powerful shield spell that was cast between them as Charisma ran into the hallway, eyes wide. "What is going _on?" _She cried.

James gritted his teeth. The last person he wanted to see right now was _her. _

The four teenagers heard whistling then, and from around the corner came none other than Professor Longbottom, also the head of their House. He stopped, his jaw dropping as he took in the scene. Fred, James, and Dominique each sporting evidence of some rather unusual hexes, and Charisma standing between them, wand out.

"Merlin's beard!" He said. "What – why –" He shook his head. "Bloody hell, you guys, it's only the first week of school!"

The teenagers glanced at each other guiltily. Nobody liked disappointing Professor Longbottom, who at the moment was rubbing his temples and muttering to himself. He sighed. "You know I have to give you all a detention, right?"

Charisma's face drained of colour.

"But, Professor!" Dominique cried.

"No buts." Longbottom said firmly. "If you all are already fighting, then there's nothing else I can do. Now, give me your wands and go see Madame Patil in the Hospital Wing." He said to James and the Weasleys. "Oh…" He drew his wand. "_Finite incantatem." _ The shield Charisma had cast dissolved.

He pointed to her. "And you, Miss Fortescue. Come with me."

After he had taken their wands and led Charisma out of the hallway, an antlered Dominique faced a pink, bedazzled James and Fred, who was sporting a rather large pair of beaver teeth.

"My mum is going to kill me." She groaned.

* * *

When Charisma got back to Gryffindor tower, Xavier was waiting for her outside the portrait hole. She smiled at him as she walked up. "Hi, Zave. What's up?" She greeted her brother, who pushed away from the wall he was leaning against.

"You got a detention." He said flatly.

Charisma's smile faded. "You heard."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "You underestimate the school's grapevine." He said drily, then leveled his sister with his gaze. "You know what this means, right?"

Charisma frowned at Xavier's determined face. "No, I don't." She spied the Fat Lady leaning towards them from behind her frame. She took her brother's arm. "Let's go over here…" she led him towards a portrait-free area of the hallway. "What's going on, Xavier?"

"I'm getting that job, Charisma."

Charisma jerked backward. "No, you're _not."_ She hissed. "And what does that have to do with me getting detention?"

Xavier shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I figure if you're already getting in trouble – with a Potter, no less – than you're not going to have a lot of free time to work. And someone has to."

Charisma glared at him. "Not _you!" _

"Oh, really? And who else is going to do it?" Xavier retorted. "Simon? Jackie?" He watched as Charisma's jaw clenched. "Or maybe you'd like to ask Dominique?"

"I get the point." Charisma snapped. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Sorry." She apologized after a moment. "I'm just feeling a little lost here."

Xavier's face relaxed. "You _can _talk to me, Izzy." He said. "You don't have to do it all by yourself."

Charisma nodded and she smiled a little. "I know. I'm just not used to getting help, even from you." She laughed. "Especially from you."

Xavier ruffled her hair. "Well, get used to it."

Charisma glared at him again, but she was still smiling as she fixed her hair. "We do need the extra money, especially since the kids are getting bigger." She leaned against the wall and started to slide down to the floor when a bench appeared beneath her. She whirled to face her brother. "Xavier!"

Xavier slipped his wand back into his robes. "What? You wanted to sit down."

Charisma glanced around nervously. "You can't _do _that here. People might see!"

Xavier blinked innocently. "See what?"

Charisma gave him her best Look. "See a sixth-year wizard doing magic he shouldn't know how to do." She shook her head. "Don't push your luck, Zave." Xavier rolled his eyes and sat down next to her. "Not like me." She mumbled.

"What was that?"

Charisma bit her lip. "Professor Longbottom caught me doing a shield spell. A very… strong one." She winced.

Xavier smirked. "You know, I'm starting to question your authority to scold me – ow!" He rubbed his arm. "And _punch _me." He muttered. Charisma grinned at him. "What did you tell him?" Xavier asked.

Charisma shrugged. "I told him it was an accident, I just wanted to stop the fight. Which was true." Xavier gave her a dubious look. "He wanted to move me into an advanced Charms class, but I told him I wanted to stay with my friends."

"And he bought it?"

Charisma rolled her eyes. "He didn't have to 'buy' anything, you git." She said. "I wasn't lying to him."

Xavier nodded slowly. "So he bought it."

Charisma laughed. "Fine, he bought it!" Xavier grinned smugly. "Anyway," She continued, "What kind of job are you going to get?" Xavier's face grew abruptly serious.

"I was going to go down to Hogsmeade this weekend and just see what's available."

"Hogsmeade?" Charisma exclaimed. "You can't work in Hogsmeade!"

"Why?"

"It's _Hogsmeade_, moron. Hogwarts students go there like every other week!"

"Oh." Xavier rubbed his neck. "Well, there is that."

Charisma sighed. "Well, I did find some help wanted ads in the Daily Prophet for Skullduggery." She said casually. "It's within Disapparating distance of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade, and there's a waitressing job open that I think I can get, and –"

"Hold on a minute." Xavier put up his hand. "Did you just say Skullduggery?"

Charisma's smile was sheepish. "Yes?"

"Charisma!" Xavier groaned. "Skullduggery is _not_ a good place. Especially for teenage girls!" He scolded her. "Tell me you haven't gone there by yourself."

"Um…"

Xavier groaned again. "Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant."

Charisma lifted her chin. "We need the money, Xavier. And we _can't _work at Hogsmeade."

"Then why not a Muggle village?" Xavier suggested.

"We're not useful in Muggle villages. They have plenty of nonmagical teenagers that need jobs. Skullduggery needs witches and wizards." Charisma argued. "And all the other magic villages are either too far away or too well known for us." She added. "Skullduggery is the only option."

Xavier sighed and closed his eyes, a muscle working in his jaw. After awhile, he said, "Alright. We'll check it out. But you are _not _going there alone anymore." Charisma opened her mouth, but he cut in sharply. "_No, _Charisma. Promise me." She frowned, but Xavier didn't let up. "Do you promise?"

"I promise." She said begrudgingly.

"Okay." Xavier's brow furrowed. "So when are we going to go visit the kids? You know how Puck and Tilly get when we're gone for too long."

Charisma played with her hair. "I want to earn a little money before we go see them. I hate going back empty handed."

"Hey," Xavier put his hand on her arm. "Oliver and Annabel don't care if you don't have money. They just want to see their big sister." He smiled at her reassuringly. Charisma returned it half-heartedly.

She glanced at her watch. "You'd better get going. It's almost time for lunch, and I don't think you should be around when all the hungry Gryffindors get here." She smirked. "A stray Slytherin might be mistaken for a tasty snack."

Xavier grabbed her and gave her a noogie. "You're bloody annoying, you know that?" He released her and started walking back down the hall.

"Hey!" Charisma called. "Take your bench with you."

Xavier waved his wand as he turned the corner, and then he and the bench were gone.

* * *

**Author's note: Ooh, more intrigue. I feel evil, keeping you guys in the dark about the Fortescues' secret. Any ideas what it could me? I've gotten some interesting theories... my personal favorite was that they're Voldemort's kids... can anyone beat that? Also, who could Puck and Tilly be? Well, I know ;)**

**Oh, and by the way, Skullduggery is my own invention. It's an actual word, though, meaning "underhanded dealing, or trickery", to play off the town's reputation. **


	10. Detention

**Author's note: Yay, I'm on time! **

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Detention**

Charisma had a headache. She sighed and plopped onto one of the plush sofas in the Gryffindor common room, rubbing her temples. She had spent lunch with her other roommates Bronwyn, Meredith, and Francesca; Dominique had not been released from Hospital Wing in time. Charisma liked the other girls well enough, but they could be rather shallow sometimes, and Charisma didn't have the patience for idle chatter today, so she had excused herself early.

She was debating between taking a nap and reading a book when the portrait hole opened. Charisma looked over in surprise to see a familiar redhead step through, her brown eyes widening when they fell on Charisma. Lily Potter.

"Oh!" the girl said. "Um, hullo."

"Hi."

"I didn't think anybody would be back from lunch yet…" Lily said sheepishly, fiddling nervously with the end of her braid. She tilted her chin, studying Charisma, before asking, "Hey… you're Jackie's sister, aren't you?"

Charisma smiled. "That's me. And you're Lily, yes?"

Lily nodded, blushing. No doubt the poor girl had been getting a lot of attention because of her tabloid-appointed status as the Potter Princess, and because it was her first year at Hogwarts. Charisma sympathized with her, she knew what it was like trying to stay away from the limelight.

Charisma was expecting Lily to leave, but instead the girl came and sat across from her, her small frame made even smaller in the high-backed armchair. Lily cleared her throat. "You're the girl that has detention with my brother, right?" she asked timidly.

Charisma froze. "Er… yes." She eyed Lily warily. What had James said about her? _Nothing good, I'll bet. _

Lily giggled at Charisma's expression. "Don't worry, I know it wasn't your fault." She assured the older girl. "Jamie, Freddie, and Nicky are always getting in trouble." She said with a little sigh.

Charisma raised her eyebrows. "Jamie?"

Lily slapped a hand over her mouth. "Oops!" She gasped. "Don't tell him I called him that outside of our house!" She pleaded.

Charisma grinned. "Your secret's safe with me." She winked. Then she asked, "What kind of trouble do they get into, exactly?"

Lily frowned a little. "I'm not really supposed to talk about my private life with people…"

"Ahh," Charisma understood immediately. "Have a lot trouble with paparazzi, then?"

Lily shrugged. "It's not as bad as people think; we're not nearly as famous as James would make you believe," she rolled her eyes. "But there are always reporters that will try to get a story out of anything." Lily said sagely. Charisma imagined she would know, having grown up in one of the most famous families in the wizarding world.

"Well, you don't have to tell me anything if it makes you uncomfortable." Charisma soothed Lily, her older sister instincts kicking in. "I don't like talking about my private life, either." She confided.

"Are your parents famous too?" Lily asked innocently. "Jackie didn't say anything about them."

Charisma tugged on one of her curls. "Well," she said carefully. "They're nobody you know. But it's usually safer if people don't know a lot about you."

Lily looked confused and intrigued by this statement, but she only nodded. Any further conversation was then cut off by the arrival of a dozen or so rowdy Gryffindors that came spilling through the portrait hole.

* * *

_That wasn't mysterious at all, _Lily thought as she watched Charisma quietly excuse herself and disappear into the crowd of people.

When Lily had met Jackie on the Hogwarts train, she had been pleasantly surprised to meet a girl her age who didn't know her on sight. Jackie had treated her like anybody else, laughing and joking and complaining about other kids on the train. Lily was normally quite shy when she met new people (especially other 11 year old girls – you know how they can get) but any anxiety she had was dissolved by Jackie's infectious personality. Lily had thought her family would love her.

Lily had always been considered an anomaly in her family; everyone always thought the black sheep was Albus, but it was really her. She wasn't as loud or silly as her cousins, nor had she inherited her mother's feistiness nor her father's heroicness. She wasn't particularly athletic or bookish, and preferred to sit by herself and play with her Bombay kitten Pumpernickel than participate in her crazy family's festivities (even though she loved them to bits, they could be more than a little overwhelming). Her Uncle George had often joked that if not for her red hair and surprisingly fiery temper, he would think she was adopted.

Lily had been shocked when she was Sorted into Gryffindor. She wasn't brave! In fact, she had been almost certain she would end up in Hufflepuff.

Lily knew Albus felt like a criminal because he was in Slytherin. He had told her once that he knew he wasn't Gryffindor material, and he had hoped that by being placed in Slytherin, all the pressure he felt from being Harry Potter's son would go away. "It's only gotten worse." Albus had said.

To be honest, Lily would much rather be in a House she knew she belonged in and be a pariah, then end up in a House where she felt like an imposter.

* * *

_BANG! _

"_Bonsoir,_ my fellow delinquent!"

Charisma didn't even jump, she was so used to Dominique's grand entrances. She rolled her eyes at Dominique's greeting. "Hi."

Her friend waltzed over to where Charisma was reading her Herbology textbook and playing with Whiskey. Dominique flopped rather ungracefully onto the mattress beside her and said, "Well, Izzy, it's about that time."

"Time for what?"

Dominique snorted. "Have you forgotten? It's almost time for detention."

Charisma shook her head. "Ah, have _you _forgotten? Longbottom retracted my detention when he found out I was trying to _stop _the fight."

"What!" Dominique cried. "You can't leave me with those two tonight! You know how James is! He hold grudges like my mom holds her liquor! And Maman holds her liquor _very _well." She added. "And Fred and I will be arguing again within five minutes!"

"That's a very sad story," Charisma said drily. "But I fail to see why I should be subject to your familial dysfunctions when I don't even have detention."

"Because you love me?"

Charisma laughed. "I don't love you quite that much." She teased. Dominique sulked. "Besides, I don't think my being there will make it any better. Wasn't I the start of that duel today?" She reminded her friend.

"I was defending your honor!" Dominique protested. "I was being a chivalrous Gryffindor against those unscrupulous villains!" She said dramatically.

"You sound like Fred." Charisma snickered.

Dominique gasped. "_Fermez le bouche! _" She said, scandalized. "I can't believe my own best friend would say such a thing."

"Well, if the shoe fits…"

Dominique scowled. "I didn't want to do this, Charisma, but you leave me no choice." She warned. "Do remember Davy Mulligan?"

Charisma shot upright, slamming her book closed and scaring Whiskey. "You wouldn't!"

Dominique grinned evilly. "Try me."

Charisma glanced around nervously, even though nobody was in the room. "You said that was ancient history!" She whispered.

Dominique smiled innocently. "I've recently taken an interest in archaeology."

"You are _wicked_!" Charisma accused. "And you call yourself my friend!"

Dominique patted her friend's arm. "This can all remain in the past," she coaxed, "if you simply agree to come to detention with me."

"Blackmail!" Charisma hissed.

"By Jove, I think she's got it!" Dominique said sarcastically, a wicked gleam in her eye.

"This is unbelievable!"

Dominique only grinned and waited.

"…fine." Charisma acquiesced. "But I want it known that I am only doing this because I have been coerced!" She declared.

"Your concerns have been noted." Dominique said regally. "Now," She hopped off the bed and held out her hand. "Shall we?"

"I hate you."

"Love you too, _cherie."_

* * *

By the time Dominique had herded Charisma down to where Professor Longbottom had told them to be, James and Fred were already there; James as sulky and Fred as hyper as ever, although neither seemed very happy to see the girls. Longbottom was surprised by Charisma's appearance. "Why, Miss Fortescue!" He exclaimed. "I thought I told you your detention was retracted?"

"I know, Professor." Charisma sighed. "I'm… volunteering." She said, mindful of Dominique's grip on her arm. Longbottom raised his eyebrows, but shrugged and ushered them both inside the storage room.

"For detention, you three – er, four – are going to clean this room." He said, gesturing to the cluttered storage room. "Partly because I don't really trust you alone in the greenhouses, and partly because Grizzly Gus – I mean, Mr. Baumgartner, has hurt his leg and is unable to go about his regular duties."

"Can't he just go to Madame Patil and get fixed up?" Fred asked.

"Here's a list of the inventory, and where everything needs to go." Longbottom said, ignoring Fred's question. He conjured a roll of parchment and gave it to James. "I'll be back in an hour to check on your progress." The professor started down the hall, then paused and said, "And remember – _no magic." _He fixed them with a level stare. "I _will _know."

"You know," Fred mused as the professor walked away. "As mousy as our parents claim Uncle Neville used to be, he sure doesn't have any qualms about discipline."

"Let's just get this over with." James grumbled, opening the scroll. "Um… Fred, you start on the shelves over there. Dominique, you start clearing the floor, and I'll take the tables." He delegated.

"What about me?" Charisma asked.

James glared at her. "You can leave. We don't need your help." He snapped.

"Alrighty then." Charisma said, relieved. "I don't need to be told twice."

Dominique snagged her arm on her way out. "Two words, honey: Davy Mulligan."

Charisma scowled. "This is grounds for the divorce of our friendship."

"Who's Davy Mulligan?" Fred called from the back of the room.

"He –"

Charisma clapped her hand over Dominique's mouth. "No one!" She said loudly. "Absolutely no one!" She silenced Dominique with a fierce glare. "I want to work." She told James. "So give me something to do."

"Fine." James shrugged. "Go help Fred, then."

Charisma sighed at James' derisive tone. "Yes sir." She saluted him mockingly.

"Aye aye captain!" Dominique played along. "Left, left, left, right, left!"

"I don't know it seems to me, James is being bo-o-ssy!" Charisma sang, marching after Dominique. "One, two, three, four!"

"I'm going to clean this messy floor!" Dominique rhymed. "Sound off!" There was a loud clattering sound as Fred dropped the pot he was holding from laughing so hard.

James was not amused. "Girls are so annoying." He grumbled.

Dominique and Charisma high-fived.

* * *

The group worked for about thirty minutes, Fred chatting companionably with Charisma, although both he and James were trying to give Dominique the cold shoulder.

"Hey, Fred, can you help me bring these down the utility closet?" James called, after collecting about four garbage bags. "We need to get the mop, too."

"No can do, partner." Fred said, trying to balance about five boxes in his arms. "I've kind of got my hands full."

James reluctantly turned to his other cousin, who was fighting a valiant battle with a series of cobwebs. "Dominique?"

"I'm a little busy." She grunted, smacking at one of the spiders with a book.

Charisma stood up and wiped her hands on her pants. "I can help you." She offered.

James gritted his teeth. "No, thanks." He said, hefting up the bags and starting off down the hallway. He didn't get very far before dropping them. James swore and reached down, before a caramel-coloured hand got there first. James looked up to see Charisma smirking at him.

"I told you I didn't need your help." James said testily.

"Obviously." She said. James shot her a dark look and tried to grab the bag. She swung it out of his reach. "Okay, I'm sorry!" She said. "I didn't mean to wound your male pride."

James snorted, picking up the other bags. "Sure you didn't." he said, once again walking off.

"Hey!" Charisma ran to catch up with him. "Hold up a minute." She said, grabbing his sleeve.

"What?" James snapped.

Charisma took a deep breath. "I wanted to apologize."

James shook his head. "You already did."

"Not for that!" Charisma insisted. "I meant, for what happened on the carriage ride." James paused. Charisma continued, "I had no right to say what I did. It was none of my business, and…" she bit her lip. "I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. So… I'm sorry."

James just stared at her. Of all the things she could have said, he was not expecting that. "Um,"

"You don't have to forgive me!" She said hurriedly. "I'm totally not expecting you to. I just wanted you to know that I'm not the horrible judgmental person you think I am." She blushed. "Well," she amended. "I don't want to be."

James was still speechless.

Charisma winced at his silence. "I'll just… keep going." She muttered, but James grabbed her arm before she could walk away.

"Wait." He said, "Why are you apologizing?"

Charisma looked surprised. "Because it's the right thing to do."

James took a minute to process this. The apologetic, moral girl in front of him did not correlate with the… well, the 'horrible judgmental person' he had been holding a grudge against.

However well James could hold a grudge, his mother had raised him right. "I forgive you." James said finally. Charisma's hazel eyes widened in surprise. "And…" this part wasn't as easy for James. "I'm sorry too."

Charisma's eyes got even wider, if possible. They were a very unusual but striking colour, like honey. James continued, "I said some pretty bad stuff, too." He shrugged. "I'm not good at accepting criticism." He confessed.

Charisma smiled. "You're human." She said. "Besides, I shouldn't have criticized you anyway."

To her unending surprise, James actually smiled at her. "I guess it's safe to say we were both pretty stupid." He joked.

Charisma laughed. "I guess so."

They grinned at each other for a moment, until Charisma glanced downward and blushed. James realized he was still holding her wrist, and let go like it was on fire. He stepped away, trying to keep a similar heat from his face. "Well," he cleared his throat awkwardly. "We should go throw this trash away, then…"

"Right." Charisma agreed, trying not to think about how good looking James Potter was when he smiled.

* * *

"Where are they?"

Dominique and Fred had finished organizing the shelves and clearing the floor and had been sitting, waiting for James and Dominique for about fifteen minutes.

Dominique turned when she heard Fred snickering. "Maybe they found a nice little broom closet to… _clean." _

Dominique tossed a nearby dustpan at him. "Get your mind out of the bloody gutter for once!" She said in disgust. "They can't stand each other."

Fred shrugged. "Then maybe James needs to hide the body."

Dominique couldn't find anything to throw, so she settled for her best glare. "Just shut up. James was probably too childish to handle walking down a hallway with her, and they split up." She said.

Fred sighed. "I admire your Gryffindor loyalty, dearest Dominique, but maybe you should let Charisma fight her own battles?"

Dominique hopped off the table she was sitting on and walked over to where Fred was lounging against the wall. "Freddie, have you heard of the expression 'bros before hoes'?"

"Heard of it? It's my motto."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure. Anyway, there's another saying… well, the G-rated one is 'sisters before misters'. That is an integral part of female friendship."

Fred arched an eyebrow. "Really now. What about 'family first'?"

"Charisma _is _family. She's like a sister to me." Dominique insisted. "Well, she's more like a sister than Victoire." She muttered.

Fred gave his cousin a sympathetic look. He was no stranger to Dominique's problems with her sister. "What'd she do this time?"

Dominique ran her hands through her short blonde hair. "She got on my case earlier about not writing to Maman."

Fred frowned slightly. "Why is that a big deal?"

"Why, indeed." Dominique snorted. "It didn't start out that bad, but of course, Victoire brings out the worst in me, and me in her. So it _became _a big deal."

Fred gave her a one-armed hug. "Aw, don't worry about it, Nicky. Siblings are always fighting. It's a part of the beauty of family." He said dramatically. "Why, just the other day, my lovely DNA counterpart, Roxanne, told me she hated me. But am I upset? No! And why not?"

"Because Roxy tells you that every day?" Dominique suggested.

"Well, yes, but no!" Fred said. "I'm not upset _because _fighting with siblings is a part of –"

"The beauty of family." Dominique finished. "Got it."

"Don't you feel better now?" Fred said contentedly.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure." She glanced at the wall clock. "Where in Merlin's bushy beard _are _they?" She exclaimed. At that very minute, the door to the storage room opened, and in came James and Charisma.

"…and then he chugged the entire bottle of nettle wine, thinking it was juniper berry juice!" Charisma was saying.

"No way!" James laughed. "That's awful! Did he ever find out?"

"As soon as he was tossing his cookies into the toilet." She said smugly.

"You are evil." James chuckled, shaking his head. "I'd hate to be your brother."

"Well, he never gave me an Acid Pop ever again, I'll tell you that."

"GET BACK!"

James and Charisma jumped as Fred appeared in front of them, wielding a large polka-dot umbrella. "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!" He shouted, jabbing at them with the umbrella threateningly.

"What the – Fred, cut it out!" James slapped the umbrella away.

"DOMINIQUE, SAVE YOURSELF!"

Dominique was peering cautiously at the pair from behind Fred. "Charisma, sweetie, are you alright?"

Charisma exchanged a confused glance with James. "Um, yes I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well… you and James are… _smiling." _Dominique said. "And _laughing."_

"Yes?" Charisma sighed. "And?"

"Oh my god, they've been cursed!" Dominique whispered loudly to Fred. "We need to get them to the Hospital Wing!"

Fred dropped the umbrella as he turned and put his hands on Dominique's shoulders. "We don't have much time. I'll distract them, you go get Madame Patil –"

"We were not _cursed." _James said impatiently. "We bloody apologized to each other. Is that such a bad thing?"

Dominique's eyes widened. "Did he just say _apologize?"_

Fred stared at his cousin in horror. "Oh my god, it's worse than we thought!"

James pinched his nose bridge. "Fred…" he turned at the sound of Charisma's giggles. "Why are you laughing at this? They think we've been bloody cursed!"

Charisma just kept laughing. "I don't think we can change their minds, James." She said. "Maybe we should just start mopping and wait until the shock wears off." She suggested.

"Good idea." With that, James and Charisma left the other two to their own devices and started finishing up the cleanup job, talking and laughing as they went.

Dominique stared, her mouth hanging open. Eventually Fred went and sat against the wall. Dominique whirled around. "What are you doing? This is serious!"

Fred shrugged. "All I know is that they offered to clean up until the shock wears off. And _my _shock isn't going to wear off until… oh…" he checked the clock. "Professor Longbottom comes back."

Dominique considered this, then took a seat beside him. "You are an evil genius."

"Why thank you, dear cousin. You're too kind."

* * *

**Translations:**

**Fermez le bouche - shut your mouth**

**Author's note: I have 22 followers! That is really exciting for me! I mean, I know it's not a very impressive number, but for a story that only has nine chapters up, and for a lesser-known author like me, I think that's pretty darn good ;) **

**This chapter was super fun to write. I mean, it's about time James and Charisma stopped hating each other so we can get on to the more...****_ interesting_**** stuff. Mwahaha. **

**Next chapter will feature the lovely town of *cue scary music* Skullduggery. **

**REVIEW PLEASE! **


	11. Skullduggery

**Author's note: I know, I know. Why am I updating again? No, it's not just because I am a wonderful person. It's mostly because my arch nemesis Writer's Block is preventing me from updating****_ A Ballad of Hogwarts_**** this weekend, so I wanted to make up for it with another TK chapter. So, here you go!**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Skullduggery**

"Where's Charisma?"

James glanced up at Fred's question, aimed at Dominique, who had just arrived at their now-regular lunch table. "Aren't you two attached at the hip or something?" Fred added. Dominique shrugged, not denying it.

"Usually." She said. "But today's Sunday." At Fred's quirked eyebrow, she said in realization, "Ahh. I forgot, you guys don't know her that well yet. Sundays is 'family day'," she explained. "Charisma and her brother used to spend every Sunday together and write letters to their family, but now that Jackie and Simon are there, they all just hang out together."

Fred screwed up his face as if trying to imagine this. "That's just wrong."

Dominique ruffled her blonde hair, which was tipped purple that day, and laughed. "I know, it's weird. But for some reason, Charisma gets along really well with her family. Like, they don't fight _ever."_

"Bloody unnatural, that's what it is." Fred declared, taking a large swig of pumpkin juice.

"That's because it's not true." James decided. "They must fight sometimes."

"They are destroying the beauty of family!" Fred wailed dramatically. James gave him a flat look. Dominique rolled her eyes.

"Well, of course they fight _sometimes," _Dominique amended in response to James' statement. "But very rarely. I bet they fight about as much as Bainbridge gets drunk."

Fred snorted into his juice, and James grinned. "You never know, she could be quite the party animal." Dominique raised her eyebrows, considering this.

"But, seriously, they don't fight?" Fred persisted. "I hear the words you're saying, but they just don't make sense."

"That's hardly a surprise, Freddie dear." Dominique patted his head condescendingly. Fred scowled. "Anyway, let me shed some light on this; I have gathered quite a bit of data from five years of observation," she said conspiratorially. "Charisma's siblings literally don't do anything without asking her first. She acts like their mum when they're at school."

"Excuse me, professor, I have a question." Fred raised his hand.

"Yes, Mister Weasley?"

"Pardon my ignorance, but isn't that what _mums _are for?"

Dominique nodded sagely, as if expecting this statement. "A valid inquiry, Mister Weasley. I assume Charisma considers herself a stand-in mum when they are at Hogwarts, and when they return home she lets her real mum take over." Dominique wrinkled her nose. "Although I don't know much of anything about Izzy's parents. She doesn't talk about them."

"Why not?"

The blonde Gryffindor shrugged. "She's just likes to keep her personal life private. Like you, James."

"I'll bet she has more success than I do, since she doesn't have to deal with the bloody tabloids." James grumbled. His cousins agreed with this.

"I wonder why she doesn't talk about her parents." Fred mused. "Maybe they're Undesirables." He theorized, eyes lighting up with the idea of intrigue.

Dominique gave him a look of disgust. "That's not it, Fred."

"Ex-Death Eaters?" Fred dodged Dominique's smacking hand. "Whoa there, filly!"

"No!" She said. "It's more likely that they have a disease or something."

"Maybe they're actually at St. Mungo's!" Dominique rolled her eyes. "Well, how come _you _don't know?" Fred retorted. "I thought she was your best friend. I thought you two were like _sisters." _

"We _are." _Dominique growled. "There's something called respect, Frederick. I happen to have a great deal of that for Charisma. So I also respect her privacy."

Fred stared at her. "Well that's lame."

James sighed and let his brain tune out as the pair started in on their usual bickering. His mind unconsciously wandered to the subject of the conversation. _Why hasn't Charisma talked to Dominique about her parents? _He wondered. _Aren't girls really big on sharing and all that sentimental stuff? _

_I think the better question is, _the suspicious part of him voiced, _is what does she have to hide?_

* * *

"Quick, hide!" Jackie squealed, whirling around and swinging her hands out, shoving Simon backwards away from the Hufflepuff common room entrance. Simon yelped and stumbled back into Charisma, who in turn bumped into Xavier.

"Jackie, calm down." He grumbled, righting Charisma before they could fall. "You're going to give us away sooner if you keep acting so suspicious."

"Shh!" Jackie hissed, shooting her brother a fierce glare. "Our house has repelling devices to keep out intruders."

"Is paranoia a Hufflepuff house trait?" Simon teased his twin.

Jackie scowled at him. "Oh shut up, Turkeytooth."

"It's _Ravenclaw." _

"Hey!" Charisma interrupted sharply. "None of that."

"Sorry." The younger Fortescues mumbled.

"Anyway, Zave is right, Jack." Simon continued. "You need to relax. I thought you told me Professor Hannah deactivated the repellants for you." Professor Hannah was Professor Longbottom's wife, but she told everyone to call her Hannah so as not to confuse everyone with two Professor Longbottoms running around.

"Oh, right." Jackie remembered, the tenseness leaving her posture. "I told her I wanted to invite Simon to see our common room, but I didn't know what the repelling spells would do."

"Good idea." Xavier commented.

"You what?" Charisma did not agree. "That was too risky, Jacqueline!" She scolded.

"Then next time you can use your own House's Floo!" Jackie snapped. "I'm not used to all this stuff, okay? We didn't have to hide back home! Tilly and Puck took care of everything!"

"No, Xavier and I did." Charisma corrected tightly. "We told Tilly and Puck what to do. And besides, you know we can't use the Gryffindor Floo, because that's where Professor Longbottom and Professor Hannah have lunch every weekend."

"Hey, calm down, you two." Xavier intervened. "Jackie, you need to remember that me and Charisma need you to do this so we can get jobs so we can take care of you, Simon, Oliver and Annabel, _and _Tilly and Puck." He said. "And Iz, Jackie's doing her best. She hasn't been doing this as long as we have."

Charisma's face softened and she leaned down to hug her sister. "Sorry, love. I'm just a little wound up today."

"PMS?" Jackie asked with a sympathetic look on her face.

"What? No!" Charisma sputtered. "Why – how do you even know about that?" Jackie grinned sheepishly.

"About what?" Simon asked innocently.

"Just… don't ask questions." Xavier advised Simon, covering his face with his hand. "Jackie, will you get us into the bloody common room already?"

Jackie giggled at the mortified look on her older brother's face and turned towards the stack of barrels that concealed the entrance to the Hufflepuff house. She stood on tiptoe to reach the barrel two from the bottom, in the middle of the second row, and tapped out a rhythm that sounded not unlike 'Helga Hufflepuff'.

The lid of the large barrel swung open, and a set of stairs folded down. Jackie grinned at her impressed siblings and climbed inside the barrel hole, followed by Simon.

Charisma was the next one in. "Wow," she said, glancing around. The room was large and round with low ceilings and cosy-looking furniture. And even though there didn't appear to be any windows, the room seemed to be filled with sunlight, casting a warm rosy glow on the earthy décor.

"Not too shabby," Xavier commented as he climbed in after her. The stairs shimmered and vanished, the lid swinging closed with a quiet click.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Jackie said extravagantly, grinning from ear-to-ear with House pride.

"It's lovely, Jackie." Charisma complimented. "And I would love to stay, but Zave and I really got to get going." She said gently. Jackie sighed disappointedly, but nodded.

"I wish you and Zavey didn't have to work." She said quietly. Charisma's heart melted.

"They _have _to, Jack." Simon said with a tinge of bitterness, "because Mama and Papa –"

Jackie clapped her hands over her ears. "I can't hear you!" She said loudly, squeezing her eyes shut. Simon gave her a tired look of exasperation, a look much too old for his young face. Charisma swallowed.

Xavier shot a look at his twin sister, who had a familiar smooth expression on her face, but the emotion in her eyes was heartbreaking. Xavier gently took Jackie's hands from her ears. "It's okay, Jackie." Jackie turned her face into his shirt. Xavier lightly put his hands on her shoulders and nudged her back. "Jack, we gotta go now."

Jackie rubbed her nose on her sleeve. "Okay." She mumbled. She led them over to another round wooden doorway, larger than the others and situated under a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff (yes, also round). Helga peered down at the quartet.

"Why hello, children." She greeted them pleasantly. "What brings you here?" She squinted at Simon, Charisma, and Xavier. She pulled out a pair of spectacles and perched them on her nose. "I don't believe I know you three…"

Charisma drew her wand. "I hate this part." She sighed, pointing her wand at the portrait. "My sincerest apologies, Madame Hufflepuff," she apologized, then said, "_Caeceus ocolus." _

The portrait dropped her spectacles and her hands fluttered about. "Oh, dear!" She exclaimed. "I can't see! Children? Children! What is going on?"

Charisma winced, then cast another spell. "_Obturatio animandum." _The portrait fell silent.

"Nice work." Xavier said approvingly. "You get a gold star."

"Gee thanks." Charisma rolled her eyes. "Is this the right room, Jackie?" The girl bobbed her head, curls bouncing. Charisma pointed at the lock. "_Alohamora." _ The lock sparked and turned abruptly. The door swung open. "That was easy." She commented to Xavier. "It was always much harder to open the locks in Slytherin."

Xavier shrugged.

Charisma turned to Jackie and Simon. "Alright, we'll take it from here. Do you remember the spells?"

"I wrote them down." Jackie said, producing a small piece of parchment.

"Destroy that when your done." Charisma warned.

"Don't worry, I have them memorized." Simon said.

"Show off." Jackie huffed. Simon grinned. "Wait!" Jackie suddenly exclaimed. "Are you going to see Ollie and Anna today?"

"If we get done on time."

Jackie fumbled for her wand. "_Accio presents!" _A nearby door flew open and out zipped what looked like a small cage.

"What the –" Charisma caught the cage just before it rammed into her stomach. She peered inside. "Good Godric!" She exclaimed. "Jacqueline Marietta Fortescue, where did you get Pygmy Puffs from?!"

"What?!" Xavier grabbed the cage. Sure enough, inside were two tiny balls of fur with big black eyes; one pink and one purple. "Sweet Merlin."

Jackie grinned happily. "I won a prize in a Witch Weekly sweepstakes. They sent me two Pygmy Puffs. And since I already have Snickerdoodle," her pet rabbit, "I decided I could give them to Ollie and Anna."

Charisma gingerly gave the cage back to her sister. "That's very sweet of you Jackie. How about you hold on to them for now? I don't think I should tote them all around Skullduggery." Jackie shrugged and nodded. Charisma sighed and shoved her hair out of her face. "Alright guys, Zave and I are gonna skedaddle now."

Jackie and Simon hugged her. "Bye, Chrissie. Have fun!"

Charisma chuckled. "Sure."

"See ya, squirts." Xavier said, ruffling their hair. He and Charisma then walked through the door, closing it behind them. Inside was similar décor as the common room, except there was a large desk on one end with a picture of the Longbottoms on it, and on the other end was a fireplace with a jar of Floo powder on the mantle.

"Did she really buy Pygmy Puffs?" Charisma checked.

Xavier sighed. "Yep."

* * *

"I hope they'll be okay." Jackie said worriedly as they heard the Floo fire flare up twice from behind the door.

Simon shrugged, taking out his wand. "They're always okay." He said simply. Jackie stared at her brother. For all his Ravenclaw intelligence, he could be rather dense sometimes. Well, she supposed she could attribute it to what Charisma called the 'boy factor'.

Simon pointed his wand into the air and very carefully recited the spell Charisma had taught them. "_Incantatio pallios." _A warm ring of energy expanded from where he stood, washing over the room like a summer breeze.

Helga Hufflepuff's portrait smiled down at them. "Hello, children." She said again. "Welcome to the Hufflepuff common room." A strange expression passed over her face. "…have I seen you before?"

Jackie sighed and held up her own wand. "_Exponentium celares." _A similar phenomenon as when Simon had cast his spell happened, expect the ring of energy was a good degree cooler. Jackie smiled cheekily at her brother. "I don't think your spell was strong enough."

Simon harrumphed. "Nobody's spells are ever as strong as Chrissie's."

Jackie nodded. "True." She checked the cuckoo clock on the wall. "We should go get our lunch now. Everyone should be gone by now."

As they exited the common room, Simon reminded Jackie, "Don't forget what Chrissie told us. If someone asks us where they are…"

"We have absolutely no idea." Jackie chanted in a monotone. "I _know_. Besides, Chrissie also said no one should care where they are except for Dominique and Rafael what's-his-face, but if we stay away from the main halls we wont run into them."

"So you did pay attention." Simon said, impressed. Jackie grabbed his ear and tugged. "Ouch!" He yelped. "Why do you always _do _that?"

"Because I know all of your weaknesses." Jackie said with a wicked grin. "I'm your twin."

"Well, then," Simon reached over and pinched the back of her neck. She squealed. "We're even." He said smugly.

As he stalked off, Jackie rubbed her now sore neck and glowered at him. "Bloody brothers." She muttered.

"I heard that!"

* * *

Charisma and Xavier arrived in Hogsmeade soon after leaving Hogwarts via the Floo. They found themselves in a relatively busy Three Broomsticks. Their arrival had a good deal of the patrons glancing up at them with strange looks. Charisma glanced down and noted with a mental curse that she and her brother were still in their school robes. She took out her wand and whispered, "_Diversis vestimenta." _

Xavier examined his transformed robes, which now looked much more like civilian attire, and nodded approvingly. "You're getting much better at spell casting, Iz. Last time you tried that one, we both ended up looking like Babbity Rabbity."

Charisma snickered at the memory, then smiled at him. "Well, _you _are the genius who invented the spell."

"Actually, Dad invented the spell." Xavier corrected. "I found it in one of his journals. I just adjusted it."

"Well, Mum always did say you inherited his finesse." Charisma said. "While I inherited her… _enthusiasm." _

Xavier snorted. "That's one word for it." Charisma elbowed his ribs. "Hey!" He huffed. "Why are the girls in our family so violent?"

"It's part of our charm." Charisma demurred. Xavier decided to remain silent on that topic. "Okay, let's get out of here so we can Disapparate without too much trouble." She led the way out of the pub, nodding over to where Madame Rosmerta and her daughter Bernadette were manning the bar. The Madame was used to the pair coming through there after a few years. At first, she had demanded to know why there were underage students coming into a pub even on the days when Hogwarts was not on a school trip, but Charisma and Xavier had explained the situation to her as clearly as they could. Now, Madame Rosmerta looked out for them and gave them whatever extra money she could.

They walked around to the side of the building and Charisma took her brother's hand. "Ready?"

He nodded. "Let's do it."

With a quick intake of breath, there was a twist in the air, and then they vanished.

* * *

"Hmm." Xavier frowned as he looked around. "Well, it's a bit of a fixer-upper."

Charisma couldn't help but agree. The town of Skullduggery was a series of tall, thin, dark buildings with a lot of broken shutters and boarded up windows. There didn't seem to be a lot of people around, but the people that were there all seemed shady, with shifty eyes and sharp-looking faces.

Charisma pulled out the clippings she had gotten from _the Prophet. _"Um… I'm going to go check out the job at the Pensieve of Passion first."

"The what?" Xavier narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't sound exactly like an upstanding business."

Charisma sighed. "It's only my first option, and besides, I looked it up. It seems very legitimate."

Xavier didn't look convinced. "Fine. But I'm coming with you."

Charisma rolled her eyes. "Your concern is touching, Brother Bear, but we don't have time for that. You have to go look at the jobs I found for you." She gave him some of the clippings. "We'll meet back here in an hour, yes?"

"Fine." Xavier said. "Just… be careful."

The serious look in his eyes stopped Charisma from blowing off his comment. "I will." She promised. Xavier stared into her face for another moment before nodding curtly and letting her go. He watched as she hurried off down the street.

_I hope this is worth it, Charisma. _He said to her in his head.

* * *

Charisma carefully opened the door to the building. The windows were covered with long red velvet curtains, and the door handle was clean and polished. A magic bell above the door let out a ring of soft, sultry music as she entered the store.

She glanced around. The storefront was mostly empty, the walls painted a dark mysterious colour, the plush rug under her feet deep purple. Another red curtain stretched over the back wall, in front of which was a long mahogany counter, housing a sleek register and a pad of paper with a purple-plumed quill pen.

Against one wall was an elegant velveteen sofa and chair, with clawed feet and some nondescript books with plainly coloured covers resting on the mahogany coffee table. The lighting was low and warm, and there was a faint heady aroma hanging in the air, like incense.

Charisma frowned. _It doesn't look too awful. _She sat down on the armchair, assuming the magic bell would assure that someone would come sooner or later. After a minute she picked up a black-clothed book and opened it to a random page.

She scanned it, and what she read made her face turn bright red. She quickly shut the book and dropped it onto the table like it was cursed. "That's not inappropriate at all." She muttered, shuddering.

Suddenly, the curtain behind the curtain rustled, and from beyond it stepped a tall, slender man, dressed in a long robe of midnight blue, not overly ostentatious but obviously expensive. He was somewhat handsome, in a pampered sort of way, with slick black hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. His eyes were very dark, and a strange sensation made Charisma's hair stand on end when those eyes landed on her.

"Why, hello there." His voice was deep and low and smooth. Charisma swallowed.

"Um, hi." She said awkwardly, standing and walking over to the counter. He opened an invisible door in the counter and stepped out with a swirl of his robe, coming to stand in front of her.

"My name is Vincenzo Bartolomeo." He said. "I am the manager of this fine establishment. Now, how may I be of service to you, _signorina?" _

_Italian, _Charisma noted. _Interesting._ "My name is Charisma. Charisma Fortescue." She glanced down to find the _Prophet _ads in her pocket, and missed the flicker of recognition light the man's face. But when she looked up, he was smiling smoothly at her.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful young woman." He said, smiling and showing a row of very white teeth.

"Er, thank you." She held up the ad. "I found this in _the Daily Prophet._ I understand you have a position open?" She added hopefully. Bartolomeo took the clipping and scanned it.

"Ah." He smiled wider and nodded slowly, before looking back at Charisma. His eyes ran down her, and she tried not to flinch. _Maybe this was a bad idea... _"I see. If you would follow me, please, _signorina." _ He led her back behind the counter and held the red curtain back, allowing her to slip through.

"This way." He led her down a long, narrow hallway with tall mahogany doors. There was the dull sound of music playing from behind some of the doors. Charisma felt unease knot her stomach. But she followed the man anyway.

He led her to another door at the end of the hallway, which was painted red. "If you would wait out here, please." He lightly knocked on the door.

"_Entrare." _Said a voice. A female one. Bartolomeo opened the door just enough to slip inside and closed it softly behind him. Charisma heard a series of low murmurs before the door reopened, this time by itself. "Do come in, child."

Charisma walked in apprehensively. The room was of the same style as the rest of the building, with purple carpet and red curtains and furniture. There was another mahogany desk, where a woman was seated. She was very beautiful in an intimidating way, with jet-black hair in an old-fashioned curled style with a single streak of silver, porcelain skin, and ruby red lips. She reminded Charisma of Morticia from the old Muggle TV show.

The woman stood. She wasn't wearing a robe, only a skintight black pantsuit with extremely high heels that sank into the carpeting. Understated diamond jewelry dripped from her ears, neck, and wrist. There was a ruby ring on one finger.

"_Buonjiourno_," The woman greeted. Her voice was low for a woman's, but smooth and clear. "Welcome to the Pensieve of Passion. I understand you wish for a position here."

Charisma nodded slowly. "I saw the ad…"

The woman came around the desk and held out her slender hands. "Come, child, let me see you." Charisma cautiously ventured closer. The woman took her hands and held her arms away from her body. Her pale eyes slowly ran up and down. Charisma felt a chill run down her back. The woman tutted. "Hm, a bit on the thin side, but workable."

"Excuse me?" Charisma stiffened.

"Ah, don't you worry your pretty little head, child." The woman cooed. "In time, you will be the best of the best." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Mmm, yes, I think you will be my special project. I do love a good makeover."

Charisma was confused. "Don't you have to interview me?"

The woman chuckled. It was not a particularly happy sound. "You are charming, child. _Charismatic_, even. Ah, the irony." She laughed again. "Dear girl, this is not the sort of job you interview for. All we need are your… _assets." _She glanced pointedly at Charisma's chest. "And my manager thinks your _assets_ fit our criteria to _perfection_."

From behind her, Bartolomeo flashed his white teeth. "Indeed, Signora Vitale."

Charisma's blood ran cold. His voice reminded her of a knife wrapped in silk. She pulled her hands away from the woman and stepped back towards the door, which had closed without her noticing. "I'm sorry, there must've been some sort of misunderstanding…"

The woman's eyes hardened. "Oh?"

Charisma fumbled for the door handle. "Yes – I don't – I'm not – I have to go."

A long black wand appeared in the woman's grasp. "I'm afraid that's not an option, Charisma."

In a flash, Charisma's survival instincts kicked in. She drew her wand. "Stay back." She warned, and she was proud that her voice didn't shake.

Signora Vitale smirked a little. "You don't want to do that, girl." Bartolomeo had also drawn his wand. "You don't know who you're dealing with."

"On the contrary, Signora_, you_ don't know who _you're _dealing with." Charisma lifted her chin and leveled the pair with her gaze. "I'm not some helpless little girl. So how about you let me leave peacefully, and I won't mess up your pretty little whore shop." She sneered.

The woman's beautiful face twisted and became rather ugly. "_Expelliarmus!" _ Before the spell was even out of her mouth, however, both her and Bartolomeo's wands were wrenched out of their hands and flew towards Charisma, who hadn't uttered a single word.

Charisma immediately grabbed them both in her hands, and with one sharp yank, snapped them in half. Signora Vitale's eyes widened in rage. "You _dare –"_

"_Silencio," _Charisma said sharply. Immediately the woman fell silent. "_Immobulus."_ Vitale and Bartolomeo were now unable to move. Charisma glared at them. "Now here's what's going to happen. I would take you straight to the police right now, except I haven't the time, so I'll just call them and let them find you here. And now I'm just going to leave and never come back. _Arrivederci, signor et signora." _

Vitale's eyes widened further at Charisma's perfectly accented Italian, and her pale eyes blazed with fury as she watched the girl Disapparate so fast she almost blinked and missed it.

_I've seen that kind of power before. _The woman thought as something suddenly clicked into place. If she could have, she would have smiled.

_ Isadore. _

* * *

**Author's note: Ah, the power of a writer. She who giveth, can also taketh away. I enjoyed dropping the random clues in this chapter, and introducing a bit more intrigue and drama. This story isn't just fun and games, let me tell you. **

**I hope this chapter spurs some reviews, especially since I updated TWICE this weekend! Do you know how much work that was?**

**Anyway, allow me to introduce you to some of those spells in this chapter that I did indeed make up myself:**

**_Caeceus ocolus_**** -** **blinds the target, specifically portraits.**

**_Obturatio animandum - _****means 'stop animation' in Latin. So they basically killed the portrait, temporarily...**

**_Incantatio pallios/Exponentium celares -_**** both spells that erase the evidence of magic in the vicinity of the caster.**

**_Diversis vestimenta - _changes the clothes of the caster into whatever they imagine  
**

**Peace and love, my readers :)**


	12. Potter Pressure

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry this is so late! October is a crazy month for me. Anyway, I hope you love my story more than you hate my excuses. Enjoy this short but sweet update! **

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Potter Pressure**

Xavier was getting concerned. He glanced at his wristwatch, then around at the deserted town, searching for a familiar head of curls. "Where is she?" He muttered. "She should be back by now…" He decided to give her two more minutes before going to find her and dragging her out of this godforsaken town for good.

Exactly one minute and fifty-nine seconds later, a call came from behind him, sending a wave of relief over the teen. "Xavier!"

He turned, shaking his head. "Girl, you don't know how close I was too…" His voice trailed off and his eyes narrowed at his sister's pale face and wide eyes. "Charisma, what happened?" He asked sharply.

"Oh, nothing!" She said in a curious high-pitched tone. "I just couldn't find a job, oh you couldn't either? That's too bad - time to go!" She fired off, grabbing Xavier's arm and Disapparating the next second, leaving the town of Skullduggery in a puff of wind and dust.

* * *

Dominique, Fred, and James were lounging in the Gryffindor common room, enjoying a lazy Sunday. James was writing a letter to his parents (mainly because he didn't fancy a howler with his name on it showing up in the Great Hall one day), Fred was going through his collection of Chocolate Frog cards (he just needed Gwenog Jones and Newt Scamander cards before he could win a prize), and Dominique was impatiently glaring at the wall clock, sighing every five minutes and adjusting her position rather restlessly.

At one point, she huffed loudly, stood up, walked five paces towards the portrait hole, then stomped back and flopped into her chair. Fred flung one of his cards at her. "Cut it out! You're making me lose count!" He scolded her. Dominique shot the card back so fast it almost clipped Fred across the nose. He yelped and jerked back. "Geez, woman, what's your problem?"

Dominique frowned at the clock again. "She's late." She murmured. "It's half past five, and she never gets back later than four o'clock."

"Who?" Fred asked absently, carefully replacing his card into his deck.

"Charisma, you ninny!" Dominique exclaimed. "She's late and she's never late!"

"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a knot." Fred sighed. "Honestly, she's probably just enjoying spending time with her family – ugh, I can't get over how barmy that sounds – or spending time away from you." He teased. Dominique was not amused, and lifted her wand threateningly.

"Watch it, Weasleys." James spoke up. "We don't want another detention. My mum already grounded me for a weekend when I get back home."

"One weekend? You got lucky, mate." Fred shook his head. "My mum won't let Dad send me any new store products for a whole _month." _He moaned. "It's bloody cruel and unusual, that's what it is!"

James just laughed. "Aunt Angie doesn't play around, does she?"

"No, she certainly does not." Fred sighed. "The woman is a sadist." He turned to Dominique. "What about you, Nicky? How bad did Aunt Fleur give it to you?"

Dominique cleared her throat, averting her heavily outlined eyes. "She, er, she doesn't know."

The boys were startled. "How'd you swing that?" James asked. "Especially since Victoire is Head Girl… and Neville probably wrote our parents."

Dominique ruffled her short hair. "I sort of bribed Vicky into intercepting Longbottom's owl." She winced.

Fred's eyebrows shot up. "No way!" He laughed, shocked. "You lie! What kind of dirt could you possibly have on Virtuous Victoire?" Fred had picked up Dominique's habit of alliteration (although he claimed to be the origin of the practice).

Dominique squirmed. "I… can't tell you." She muttered, pointedly not looking at James, whose eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Dominique. What are you not telling us?" He asked. Her brown eyes met his piercing green ones, and she soon gave under his intense stare, what Fred had dubbed 'Potter Pressure', another excellent example of alliteration.

"You have to swear to secrecy." She said. "You absolutely _cannot _tell _anyone." _She begged. "Even though I know you'll want to."

James frowned. "Since when do I tell secrets? You should really be worried about Big Mouth Weasley over there." He jerked his thumb at Fred, who had the audacity to look offended.

"Swear!" Dominique demanded again.

"Alright, I swear!" James said impatiently. Fred echoed him. "Do you want the bloody Unbreakable Vow?" Dominique actually looked like she was considering it. "Dominique!"

"Okay, okay!" She beckoned them closer and whispered. "This past summer, I sort of caught Victoire with a… guy." At her cousins' confused faces, she added under her breath, "But it wasn't Teddy."

It didn't register at first. "Not Teddy?" Fred repeated blankly. "But that would mean…" His eyes widened as the proverbial light bulb flickered on over his head. "Oh." He blinked. "Merlin's Beard!" He swore. Dominique gave him a withering look.

James was doing a rather good impression of a goldfish as his brain worked on reconciling his cousin cheating on his god brother. "You're not serious, are you?"

Dominique grimaced and nodded. "Sorry, mate."

"What're you sorry for?" Fred asked. "It's not like this is any of our faults. So Victoire decided to be a b… bad… word…" He amended his statement. "That's not our problem. It's between her and Ted."

"Not anymore." Dominique said unhappily.

"We have to tell Teddy." James said, moving to get up. Dominique seized his arm and dragged him back down.

"No, you can't!" She said fiercely. "You promised!"

"But this is about Teddy!" James yanked his arm away from her. "He's like my – no, he _is _my older brother! I don't care if you bribed your sister, you can't expect me to do that!"

Dominique's hackles raised. "I can and I will!" she retorted. "You've never broken my trust before, James, don't start now!"

"You broke my trust just by _asking_ me to do this!" James stood back up. "You're asking me to lie to my own brother? Just so you don't get in trouble with your mum?" He gave her a look of disgust. "How selfish can you get?" Before she could respond, he walked over and threw open the portrait hole, shutting it with a loud slam behind him.

* * *

Dominique glared after him with as much as contempt as she could muster, but she knew he was right. _He doesn't get it,_ she told herself. _He doesn't know what it's like having Victoire as a sister. _

"So…" Dominique turned her head slowly to glare at Fred, who was idly shuffling his Chocolate Frog cards. "That went well." He offered. She jut looked at him. "But." Fred held up a finger. "Might I make one tiny suggestion?"

Dominique pinched the bridge of her nose. "Be my guest."

Fred pocketed his cards and sat up, arching one eyebrow and steeping his fingers, doing a rather good imitation of his Albus Dumbledore card. "Well, dear cousin, you might be in a bit less of a pickle – and remember, this is only a suggestion – if you _hadn't _asked James to lie for you."

"I didn't ask him to lie! Just… not… say anything." Dominique argued weakly.

Fred rolled his eyes skyward, in another impressive imitation, this time of his mother. "Every day I see another reason why it's a very good thing you're not in Ravenclaw." He said.

Dominique, a firm believer in actions speak louder than words, reached over and smacked him.

* * *

Charisma had just managed to evade Xavier's questions and had escaped down the hallway to Gryffindor tower when she ran smack into someone. "Oof!" She stumbled backward, losing her balance and landing on her backside on the stone floor. "Ow…" She moaned, rubbing her bum.

"Charisma?"

She glanced up to see her assailant, also sprawled out on the floor, blinking back at her. "James!" She smiled. "Hi!"

He didn't return her smile as he got to his feet, dusting off his trousers. "Hey." He said sullenly. Charisma's smile faded.

"Are you okay?" She asked tentatively. James snorted. "I'll take that as a 'no'." She muttered, about to go find some shelter away from Hurricane James, when a hand appeared in front of her face. She looked up in surprise to find James looking down at her, a small hint of humor in his eyes.

"Are you planning to spend all day down there?" He asked.

Charisma grinned back cheekily. "I don't know, this is a pretty wicked spread right here." James raised his eyebrows. She gestured around her. "I think I've got it made. It's roomy, but also very cozy. I love the minimalist theme going on here, don't you?" She made herself comfortable. "This is luxury granite, after all." She was rewarded with a genuine James Potter smile.

"I'll admit, it's a pretty sweet piece of real estate," He played along, "But how about a stool in the kitchens instead?"

Charisma was more than a little surprised. She tilted her head. "What's your price?"

He shrugged. "Just some friendly conversation." He held out his hand again. "What do you say?"

She tapped her chin like she was deep in thought, then smiled. "Sounds good." She reached up and grasped his hand, letting him pull her up.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ooh, is that another plot bunny I see? Or as I like to say, another layer of cheese to my plot-burger? **

**Review review review!**


	13. Tickle the Pear

**Chapter Twelve: Tickle the Pear **

"Alright, now I have to ask – how exactly do you plan to get us into the kitchens?" Charisma asked James as he led her down the hallways of Gryffindor.

James smiled mysteriously. "Family secret." He replied, laughing at Charisma's look of frustration. For a girl who had plenty of secrets, she sure didn't like being kept in the dark.

They walked in silence for awhile. James kept catching Charisma shooting him odd looks. "…What?" He asked uncomfortably.

Charisma flushed at being caught out. "It's nothing." She said quickly. "Well…" she laughed a little. "It's just, this is rather unusual." James raised his eyebrows in question. "Come on, James, a few weeks ago we couldn't stand each other. And now we're on some top secret journey through the bowels of Hogwarts to the mysterious kitchens." She said comically.

James snorted. "You've been spending too much time with Fred."

"Ah, yes, our resident thespian." She smiled a little. "You know, I never would've pegged you two to be best friends."

"Me neither." James said drily. "I think being cousins has something to do with it, though."

"Family does change things." Charisma said, an undertone in her voice James couldn't quite place. "Oh!" She said suddenly. "Speaking of Fred, next time you see him, can you tell him I have those notes for Charms that he me for?"

"He asked you for notes?" James frowned a little. "Why didn't he just ask me?" He wondered, mostly to himself.

"Because you don't take notes." Charisma laughed. "I've seen you in Charms, James. All you do is sit there and pretend to pay attention."

"I do pay attention!" James said indignantly.

Charisma rolled her eyes. "You're not fooling anyone, James Potter. You already know everything that's going to be taught in that class."

"You're one to talk." He retorted. "Didn't Professor Longbottom want to put you in Advanced Charms?"

Charisma paused. "How did you know that?" She demanded.

James just looked at her. "I'm James Potter."

Charisma just stared at him. "Well, _excuse_ me." She said sarcastically. "I wasn't aware that being famous meant you were privy to my private life."

James put up his hands. "Whoa, hold on." He cautioned. "Actually, I heard Longbottom mention it to Professor Hornsby." He admitted. "That's how I know."

"Oh." Charisma's ire left her as quickly as it had come. She tugged on one of her curls. "Sorry."

James shrugged. Then after a moment, he asked, "So why didn't you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Move up to Advanced Charms."

It was Charisma's turn to shrug. "It would just be more homework." She said dismissively. "Besides, I like having class with my friends."

"Dominique?"

"Yes, of course Dominique. But also you, and Fred, and my roommates –"

"I'm your friend?" James blurted, surprised.

Charisma blinked. "What else would you be?"

James considered this. "Nothing, I guess." He said slowly. "So, we're friends."

Charisma smiled. "Friends." James tried to ignore the odd tingle in his stomach when she smiled. Thankfully, a distraction presented itself.

"We're here."

Charisma looked around. "We are?" They had stopped in the middle of a hallway, in front of a rather large painting of fruit. "Forgive my ignorance, but if we were at the kitchens, wouldn't we – oh, I don't know – be in a _kitchen?"_

"Your ignorance is forgiven." James said. He nodded at the painting. "Tickle the pear."

Charisma's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "Excuse me?"

James pointed at the pear in the painting. "That's how you get into the kitchens. You tickle the pear."

Charisma wrinkled her nose. "Sometimes I question the sanity of magic." She muttered. James chuckled. She cautiously reached up and scratched the pear.

She leapt back with a yelp when the pear giggled – _giggled! _She lost her balance, but James caught her shoulders. The pear wiggled, and transformed into a large green doorknob. James pulled the painting, which was evidently a door, open and said gallantly, "After you, milady."

Charisma smiled. "Now who's been spending too much time with Fred?" She joked as she crossed the threshold. She was greeted with the sight of a large room heaped with gleaming pots and pans, lined with ovens and sinks and cupboards. The room was permeated with the smell of bread baking, soup cooking, and dishes washing. There were dozens of small house elves bustling around, snapping their fingers and levitating plates and silverware and sending them whizzing around the room. Charisma had to duck to narrowly avoid a flock of forks and knives on their way to a drawer.

When James entered, there was a chorus of squeaky voices saying, "Master Potter!"

"Welcome, Master Potter!"

"Master Potter is here!"

"Harry Potter's son James has come!"

"Hullo, Master James Potter!"

James lifted his hand in a half-wave. "Hi, everyone. This is my… friend, Charisma."

"Welcome Miss Charisma!"

"Master Potter has brought a lady friend!"

"Miss Charisma is very beautiful!"

Charisma blushed and laughed. "Hi." She said somewhat awkwardly.

James asked the crowd, "Are Grubbin and Nog here today?" A pair of elves approached tripping over each other in their haste. One was rather short, even for a house elf, with a pudgy stomach and big feet. The other was taller and gangly with large, blinking eyes and equally large ears.

The pudgy one straightened his back importantly and adjusted his tunic. "Nog, at your service, Master Potter."

The taller one pushed Nog aside. "And Grubbin is here too, yes he is, right here, because that's me, here to serve Master Potter and his lady friend!"

Nog slapped his little hand over Grubbin's mouth. "Shut your pie hole, Grub! Master Potter does not want to listen to your babble!"

Grubbin looked horrified. "Oh, dear! Grubbin is ever so sorry, Master Potter, so so sorry! Grubbin will stop talking now, yes he will –"

"It's fine, Grub." James interrupted with a laugh.

"What can Nog and Grubbin do for you, Master Potter?" Nog asked.

"We'd just like some apple cider, please." James requested, glancing at Charisma for her approval.

"Right away, sir!" Grubbin took off at a neck-break speed.

Nog stared after his companion in disgust. "Nog would also like to offer you and the lady some fresh baked sweet potato pie, Master Potter."

"That'd be great."

Nog took off slightly slower than Grubbin, and James led Charisma over to one of the long tables in the middle of the kitchen. "'Master Potter'?" She asked.

James sighed. "You don't know how many times I've asked them to call me James. They just ignore it, so I just gave up." He shook his head.

Charisma smiled as she watched the elves race around the kitchen. "House elves can be very set in their ways." She agreed.

"You say that like you've spent a lot of time with them." James commented.

Charisma shrugged, a slight lift of her shoulders. "I've met a few around Hogwarts." She said vaguely.

"Why do I get the feeling you're leaving something out?"

Charisma looked up quickly. "What?"

"Every time anybody asks you about your life, you never give a direct answer." James said casually, but his eyes pierced hers.

"I'm just a private person." Charisma said with a slight edge to her voice.

"So am I, and yet everyone knows about my life." James mused.

"Well, I don't have every reporter in the United Kingdom stalking my family." Charisma said. "Thank Merlin." She added under her breath.

"Why?" James asked curiously. "What would they find out?"

Charisma sighed. "You ask a lot of questions, James Potter." She deflected. "You could be a reporter yourself."

James snorted. "That's the last thing in the world I would want to do."

Charisma was relieved that he took the bait. "What _would_ you want to do?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"My dad wants me to be a Quidditch player." James said.

"Well, I've heard you're a great player," Charisma said, "But something tells me that's not exactly your dream job."

James frowned at her. "You're too smart for your own good."

_Funny, I would've said the same thing about you. _

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Grubbin and Nog, bearing mugs of apple cider and plates of pie, respectively.

"Thank you," Charisma said sincerely. "It looks delicious."

"It is our pleasure, Miss Charisma." Nog said. Grubbin nodded emphatically.

Charisma kicked at James' leg under the table.

"Ow! Geez –" he caught Charisma's Look. "Oh, er, thanks, mates."

Nog nodded and bustled off at the call of his name from across the room. Grubbin made to follow, but at the last second he paused. "If Grubbin could be so bold, Grubbin would like to say that Master Potter and Miss Charisma make a lovely couple." He squeaked, then scurried away.

Charisma and James stared, open mouthed, before turning bright red and turning their full attention to their pie.

After a few minutes, though, Charisma spoke up in an attempt to banish the awkwardness. "You never answered my question." James looked up. She cleared her throat. "About, um, what you want to do."

"Oh." James furrowed his brow in thought, then he smiled. "I'll answer your question – on one condition."

Charisma frowned. "What condition?"

"That you answer a question in return."

Charisma was immediately suspicious, but she nodded slowly. "Fine. So answer my question: what do you want to do with your life?"

James sat back. "Well, lately I've started exchanging owls with my Uncle Charlie."

"Doesn't he work at a dragon reserve in Romania?" Charisma wondered absently. Then it clicked. "Wow." She breathed. "You want to be a dragon keeper?"

James tried to look nonchalant, but Charisma saw the light of excitement in his eyes. "When I was eight, my parents took me and Albus and Lily to visit Uncle Charlie at his job." He said. "I was supposed to stay with them and not wander off… but I did."

Charisma laughed. "Oliver and Annabel are always wandering off." She sighed. "They never listen to me."

"I bet they get into a lot of trouble with your parents, then, too." James said shrewdly. He did not miss the way Charisma hesitated before agreeing. "Anyway," he continued with his story, "I somehow ended up in the nursery, and I was just in time to see one of the eggs hatch." His face lit up. "It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. I thought all dragons were big, scary monsters, but the hatchling was so small and helpless." He smiled. "I was only eight, but I realized that I was the first thing that little dragon had seen. I witnessed the beginning of a life!"

Charisma smiled. "That's amazing."

James nodded. "That little dragon thought I was its mother. He followed me everywhere that first week, snapping at anybody who tried to take him away. Uncle Charlie taught me how to take care of him. That's when I decided I wanted to take care of dragons forever."

Charisma took a sip of her cider. "Where is the dragon now?"

"Sinbad – that's what I named him – is still at the reserve in Romania. I go see him every summer holiday."

"Does he still think you're his mother?" Charisma teased.

James gave her a _very funny _look. "I think he's intelligent enough to know that that's scientifically – and magically – impossible." Charisma smiled at him again, and he couldn't help but return it, getting a little lost in the sparkle in her hazel eyes.

"Now it's my turn to ask a question." He said quickly to distract himself from whatever was happening to him.

Charisma looked a little wary. "Go ahead."

James leaned forward and fixed her with a stare. "Why were you in Hogsmeade this afternoon?"

* * *

**Author's note: Oh no, James is getting a little suspicious! Hmm, but do you think that counted as a first date? Anyway, see you next week!**

**EMC**


	14. Conflicted

**Chapter Thirteen: Conflicted**

* * *

Charisma's had alarm bells sounding off inside her head, and she had to make a conscious effort to keep her face neutral. She even managed a laugh. "Hogsmeade?" She said incredulously. "I wasn't in Hogsmeade. Why would I be in Hogsmeade?"

"You tell me." James said coolly, sitting back.

Charisma crossed, then uncrossed her ankles. _C'mon, girl, be cool. _"What makes you think I was in Hogsmeade?" She asked carefully.

James glowered at her. "Cut the crap, Charisma." He snapped. "I heard your brother Simon and your sister Jackie talking about in the hallway earlier today. I know you weren't spending a 'family day' with them, so stop lying to me."

Charisma's knuckles turned white as her grip tightened on her mug. "Stop lying to you." She repeated softly. _I can't! _she thought miserably.

_Yes you can. Tell him the truth. _

Charisma had been stuck between a rock and a hard place her whole life, but she had never felt it so strongly as she did now, her siblings' faces in her mind while she stared into the fierce gaze of James Potter.

She closed her eyes. "Xavier and I were looking for jobs."

James blinked. "Jobs?"

"Yes, jobs." Charisma said. "Our family needs the money." She shot a look at James. "We don't all have the luxury of inheriting the Potter fortune."

James furrowed his brow. "I don't want to sound like a git, but… you don't _look…" _

"Poor?" Charisma finished. "Well, we are. Not to the point where we wear robes made out of potato sacks, but we need some extra income, and Xavier and I want to help." She shrugged.

"Did you get permission from the Headmaster?" James asked.

Charisma paused. "It's not that simple." She said haltingly.

"I'm sure Bainbridge will understand if you explain." James prodded.

"It's _not that simple." _Charisma repeated forcefully, shoving her hair out of her eyes, a look of desperation briefly slipping through her filter and showing on her face. James must have seen it, for he frowned.

"You're lying to me again." He said. She didn't look up. He leaned forward again. "Charisma, you can talk to me." he didn't know why it was so important that she know this; believe it, but it was. His stomach twisted as he watched her battle with herself, pained by her pain. "Izzy, please."

She finally met his eyes at the nickname, hazel to green, and said softly, "There is nothing I would rather do than tell you everything… but I can't. I have to think about Xavier and Simon and Jackie and Ollie and Anna… I can't be selfish."

"Talking to someone about your problems is selfish?" James countered. "Iz, you're only sixteen. Whatever it is, you shouldn't have to deal with it by yourself. You're just a kid."

"I had to grow up fast." Charisma said, then sighed. "James, please don't ask this of me." She whispered.

James was conflicted. Part of him wanted to know exactly what was wrong so he could fix it, to get that terrible look of helplessness off her face. But part was whispering at him to wait for her to be ready to tell him, not to push her, not yet.

They sat there in silence, Charisma staring blankly into her mug, which her hands were wrapped tightly around, as James floundered around in his head for something – _anything – _to say.

Finally he reached out a hand and put it on her arm. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, a guarded look on her face. "I don't want you to tell me anything that you don't want to." He said, trying to invoke as much sincerity as possible in his voice. "And I know we don't each other all that well, but I just want you to know that if you ever want to talk, I'll be here."

Charisma smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you James." She said softly.

They sat there, his hand on her arm, her smiling at him for a good long moment when there was a loud _creak _as the door to the kitchen opened. James and Charisma looked over in surprise as a tall girl stepped inside. The house elves erupted in a chorus of greetings.

"Princess Shelley!"

"Mistress Shacklebolt is here!"

"Oh, my! The Minister's daughter is in our kitchens!"

Shelley Shacklebolt smiled down at the elves gathered around her. "Hullo, everyone." She said warmly. "How are you?" As she received another burst of chatter in response, she happened to glance over to the table where James and Charisma sat. Her dark brows shot up. "Potter!" She exclaimed. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Hey, Shelley," James greeted his friend and Quidditch captain as she weaved through the elves over to them. He frowned at her. "Er, Shell, why is there a monkey on your shoulder?"

The older Gryffindor girl laughed and reached up to pet the small creature's fluffy golden fur. "This is Ginseng, my familiar." She said fondly. "I'm not allowed to have him with me during classes, but otherwise, we're never apart."

"He's adorable!" Charisma piped up, smiling as the little monkey rubbed its nose and blinked its round dark eyes.

"Don't let his appearance fool you," Shelley advised. "He may be cute, but he's got a mischievous streak, don't you, Ginseng?"

"Sounds like my sister." James said, eyeing the animal warily.

Charisma snorted. "Sounds like _all _of you Weasley-Potter clan." She corrected.

"Sounds like _some_one just admitted you were cute, James." Shelley said slyly, grinning as both of them turned a rather bright shade of red and started sputtering their denial. "Calm down, I'm just teasing." Shelley shook her head. "Anyway, I don't think we've met." She addresses Charisma, holding out her hand. "Rochelle Shacklebolt, but everyone calls me Shelley." She rolled her eyes. "When they're not calling me 'Princess'."

Charisma laughed and shook the girl's hand. "I'm Charisma Fortescue, pleasure to meet you."

Shelley tipped her head, brushing Ginseng's face with her long braids. The monkey squeaked in protest and flicked Shelley's nose with his tail. Shelley ignored him. "Aren't you in Gryffindor?" She asked Charisma.

Charisma nodded. "I don't think we've ever crossed paths, though."

"I would have remembered you if we had." Shelley said decisively. "You're very pretty." Charisma flushed, pleased. "Don't you think so, Potter?" Shelley asked casually, her exotic dark eyes sparkling with mischief. She had seen James holding Charisma's arm when she had come in.

James' eyes narrowed at his captain.

"Well…" Charisma broke in, trying to dispel the sudden awkwardness. "I should probably get going. I haven't seen Dominique all day – she might be worried." She blinked in surprise as her cider mug and plate suddenly disappeared, then laughed, "House elves."

She smiled at Shelley and James. "It was nice to meet you, Shelley." She said pleasantly. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, James." She lifted her hand in a little wave and sashayed over to the door, where she was stopped by one of the elves, whom she bent down to talk to.

Shelley grinned as she watched James' eyes follow the younger girl. "Well what do you know." She said. "James Potter fancies a girl."

James' head whipped around. "What! I do not!"

"Methinks you doth protest too much." Shelley retorted. James glowered.

"What makes you think I like her?" He asked, a bit curious despite himself. Shelley glanced back to where Charisma was talking intently with the small elf.

"You weren't frowning around her." She said simply. "And you're _always _frowning."

James glanced over at Charisma too, and his brow did in fact smooth out as he looked at her, something he didn't notice but Shelley definitely did. She smiled. "I won't tease you anymore."

"I doubt it." James said drily. "Anyway, what brings you down here?"

"Just needed a change of scenery." Shelley shrugged. "The seventh year Gryffindors aren't as much fun as everyone thinks they are."

"I thought they were your friends."

"They are my friends, but not very close ones." Shelley absently gave Ginseng a piece of her cinnamon stick that was in a mug of hot chocolate an elf had brought her. "My only really close friend here was Teddy."

James tensed as he thought about Victoire cheating on his god brother. He had a sudden urge to tell Shelley, but he knew he shouldn't. "Have you talked to him recently?"

She shrugged. "I Owl him whenever I get the chance, but he's pretty busy with his Auror training and whatnot." She sounded matter-of-fact, but James could tell she wasn't happy about this.

"He hasn't Owled anyone in a few weeks." James offered by way of reassurance. "Not even Victoire."

"Really? I thought all Teddy did was talk to his perfect girlfriend." Shelley said, almost bitterly.

"She's _not _perfect." James said harshly. "And definitely not perfect for Ted."

Shelley's gaze sharpened on the teenaged boy. "What are you talking about, James?" She said suspiciously. "Did something happen?"

"I just don't like her." James grunted. Shelley frowned but remained silent. James grew restless, before looking testily back to where Charisma was still talking to the House Elf. "Why is she still here?" He muttered, before abruptly standing and stalking over.

"Um, bye?" Shelley said. She shook her head and petted Ginseng, who had scampered down her arm and was now munching on the rest of her cinnamon stick. "Ah, young love."

* * *

Charisma was on her way to the door, leaving James to talk to the incredibly beautiful Shelley Shacklebolt when she felt a tug on her pant leg. "Missy Charisma?" She looked down to see a rather diminutive female House Elf blinking up at her with enormous eyes set in a small face framed by large, slightly crooked ears.

"Hello." Charisma send, and something about the timid way the elf was regarding her made her bend down to the elf's eye level, like she would with Oliver or Annabel. "How do you do?"

"Oh, very well, Missy, very well indeed." The elf squeaked.

"Do you need something?" Charisma asked gently.

The elf's ears twitched nervously. "Nilly doesn't want to bother the Missy, but Nilly really needs to ask –"

"Nilly?" Charisma said sharply. "Your name is Nilly?"

"Yes ma'am!" The elf bobbed her little head. "Does Missy Charisma know Nilly?"

"Are you…" Charisma hesitated, then lowered her voice. "Do you know a House Elf named Tilly?"

Nilly squeaked excitedly, "Oh yes Nilly does, Missy! Tilly is Nilly's baby sissy, oh yes she is! Nilly's brother Willy and me have missed Tilly oh so very much! Do you know where Tilly is?"

Charisma hushed the elf quickly. "Yes, I do, Nilly. Tilly works for my family. She takes care of my little brother and sister. She's been looking for you and Willy for a long time."

"Oh, can Tilly come here to see us, oh please?" Nilly pleaded.

Charisma bit her lip. "I… I will talk to her."

Nilly picked up on Charisma's hesitation immediately. "Oh, but if Tilly has a job then Willy and Nilly should go to her, yes? We can do that, oh yes we can!"

"Calm down, Nilly." Charisma said. "I will let Owl Tilly as soon as possible, just… please… _don't tell anyone." _She said forcefully. Nilly's ears quivered.

"Nilly will not say a word if it means seeing Tilly again!" The little elf said, nodding so furiously her whole body moved.

"Who's Tilly?"

Charisma jumped at James' sudden appearance. Nilly squeaked and with a _crack, _disappeared into thin air.

"Who was _that_?" James blinked.

Charisma sighed. "A very shy little elf."

James' eyes narrowed at the edge in her voice. "What did she want?"

Charisma thought quickly. "She wanted to know why I was in here with the famous James Potter." She winked at him.

James smirked. "Oh, yeah? And what did you tell her?"

Charisma straightened up and grinned at him. "That you're not as posh as everyone thinks you are and she would be better off idolizing someone like Fred." With that, she pushed open the door and scampered out into the hallway.

"Hey!" James said, insulted. "Why you – get back here!"

Her laughter floated down the hallway in response.

* * *

**Author's Note: I know, guys, I really dropped the ball on this update. And I deeply apologize. I had a lot of crazy things happen over the past two months, the least of which being chaotic family reunions over the holidays and the fact that my best friend just became my boyfriend :) ...which really isn't all that bad, but still dramatic. But I'm back, and ready kick some story butt! **

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	15. In the Halls of Hogwarts

**Chapter Fourteen: In the Halls of Hogwarts**

* * *

Shelley Shacklebolt was on her way back to Gryffindor towers when Ginseng suddenly leaped off her shoulder with an excited burst of monkey chatter and dove behind a nearby tapestry. "Hey! Come back here, you little scamp!" Shelley scolded, pulling the tapestry away from the wall and ducking behind it. She scooped Ginseng up, saying, "What have I told you about chasing the magical dust bunnies before?" and was about to come out when she heard a pair of voices coming down the hallway, talking in angry whispers.

"…can't believe you _told _them!" One hissed. Shelley realized with a start that the rather high-pitched voice belonged to none other than Victoire Weasley.

"I didn't mean to, it just came out!" The second voice joined in, pleading. It was Victoire's sister, Dominique. Shelley immediately knew she was eavesdropping – however unintentionally – on a private conversation between sisters and the ethical thing to do would be to preserve all of their dignities by revealing herself then walking away, but something gave her pause.

"What on _earth _would make you think that telling _James Potter _– Teddy's _god brother – _wouldn't be, oh, I don't know, the _worst possible option?!" _Victoire almost shrieked. Shelley's eyes narrowed at the mention of her best friend. _What does Ted have to do with this? _

"Stop being so melodramatic, Vicky." Dominique snapped. "James won't say anything."

Victoire let loose what sounded suspiciously like a string of French curse words. "Nicky, _tu es une imbecile? _Of course James will tell Teddy! But we wouldn't have to worry about that if you hadn't told _James!" _She made a sound of disgust. "_Je suis ta soeur, _Dominique. We're family. I should be more important than your silly little friends."

"You don't _act_ like we're sisters, Victoire." Dominique said bitterly. "You only pay attention to me when you want something from me. Other than that, you treat me no better than pebble in your shoe. You barely speak to me when we're at school, and at home you suck up all the attention from Maman and Papa and Louis. It's like I barely exist."

Victoire huffed in exasperation. "Oh, _mon dieu. _I don't have time for your little inferiority complex right now, Nicky. I'm kind of in the middle of a crisis – which is _your_ fault, by the way."

"My fault?" Dominique's voice went up an octave. "_My_ fault? Excuse me, but I don't see how you _cheating_ on your boyfriend is _my_ fault!"

Shelley's jaw dropped in shock. _What?! _

"Stop being so self-centered, Nicky." Victoire said scathingly. "I can't deal with all the problems in my life and babysit you. And I most certainly do _not_ have to explain myself to _you_, so stay out of my business."

"Really? Out of the two of us, _I'm_ the one that's self-centered?!" Dominique snapped. "And I never asked you to 'babysit' me, I just – you know what, forget it." She cut herself off with a bitter laugh. "You've made it clear how little you care about me, never mind poor Teddy. And I'm not even sorry I told James, and if he tells Teddy, then good, because you deserve everything you get."

Shelley smiled. _You go, girl. _

Victoire was silent for a moment, before answering, "I don't have time for this." There was the sound of heels clicking on the stone floor as she stalked away, then it paused as Victoire called back from a ways down the hall, "By the way, Dominique, Maman is _definitely_ going to hear about that detention. And if you need help in the future, don't come to me." She said coldly. "Consider yourself officially sister-less."

The clicking resumed, and distantly Shelley heard a door open then slam shut. She heard Dominique sniffle, then turn and walk away quickly.

Shelley remained behind the tapestry for a few more moments, just to be safe, before finally emerging. She looked down at Ginseng, who blinked up at her innocently, and exhaled slowly. "Well." She murmured. "Now what?"

* * *

_Screw her. I don't need her help. She never acted like a sister anyway, not since she became Head Girl and turned into such a stuck-up brat. Teddy doesn't deserve her anyway. _

Dominique continued this mental rant as she stormed down the hallway, all too aware of the effect her thunderous glare was having on the passing students and not caring in the slightest. A group of unfortunate first years clustered in the middle of the hallway gave a few frightened yelps as they were forcibly pushed apart by a wave of Dominique's wand.

She continued on her way, when someone called her name. "Dominique!"

She turned, and much to her chagrin, saw Rashid Mustafa jogging towards her with a big smile on his face. _Oh, Merlin, not today, of all days… _She sighed heavily. "What is it, Mustafa?"

Rashid's smile faltered at the look on her face. "Hey, you alright?" The genuine concern on his face made Dominique feel a bit guilty about her curt greeting. She managed a brief smile.

"Yeah, I'm swell."

Rashid's smile came back full-blown. "Brilliant."

Dominique waited.

Rashid smiled.

Finally Dominique prodded him, "…can I do something for you?"

"Oh! Right." He flushed, then glanced down at his hands. Dominique frowned. _Why does he look so nervous? _Rashid cleared his throat. "Um, are you going on the Hogsmeade trip this weekend?"

"I was planning on it." Dominique confirmed. "Why?"

Rashid's cheeks darkened noticeably. He glanced at her face, then quickly looked away. "Well, I was wondering if you… um… might want to go… with me?" He stammered.

It didn't make sense to her at first. "Go with you?" She repeated blankly.

Rashid nodded, a fast jerk of his head. "Yeah… like um… like a…" He cleared his throat again. "Like a date."

Dominique's eyes widened. "Oh." _Oh my god. "Oh. _Well… blimey, Mustafa… I mean, Rashid…" She had known Rashid fancied her, but she had never thought he would do _this_. Suddenly it was her turn to stammer. "You're a good chap, Rashid, and I'm flattered, but…"

His face fell. "You're turning me down." It was a statement, and said in such a defeated tone, like he had expected this and knew he shouldn't have been so stupid as hope for anything different.

Dominique felt horrible. "No! Well, yes, but it's not for the reason you think." She tried to reassure him. "I was, um…" Her mind raced. _Think, Weasley, think! _"I was asked by someone else!" She blurted. Her eyes darted around.

She spotted the familiar tall, dark, and handsome figure of Xavier Fortescue, and before she could talk herself out of it, reached out and grabbed his arm as he was walking by. "By Xavier!" She added.

"What?" Rashid asked.

"What?" Xavier repeated.

Dominique dug her nails into Xavier's arm. He winced. She turned her face to him and bared her teeth in an approximation of a smile and pierced him with her eyes. "You asked me to go to Hogsmeade with you."

Xavier stared at her. "…_what?"_

"You _did_, and I was just letting Rashid here know, because he had just asked me as well." Dominique said. "I'm sorry, Rashid." She gave him an apologetic smile. "Maybe next time, yeah?"

Rashid didn't meet her eyes. "Yeah, sure." He muttered, before spinning on his heel and walking away.

Dominique sighed and let go of Xavier, who rubbed his arm where she had grabbed him. "Way to let a bloke down easy." He said sarcastically.

Dominique shrugged. "He'll get over it." She said. "It's just a silly crush. Besides, I happen to know my roommate Meredith Oswald is head over heels for the boy."

"Well that's all fine and good, but next time can you _not_ use me to help someone get over you?" Xavier asked drily.

Dominique smirked. "Don't pretend you weren't flattered." Xavier rolled his eyes. "But thanks for your help," She added as an afterthought.

Xavier nodded slightly. "no problem, considering I didn't even know I was helping." He said. "But you know Mustafa's going to find out you lied come Saturday when you show up in Hogsmeade _alone_."

Dominique frowned. Then she flashed Xavier a wicked smile. "Well, then." She said. "I guess I just won't show up alone then."

* * *

Rashid tried not to be too upset as he walked away from Dominique and the Fortescue boy. _You knew she didn't fancy you, idiot. _He berated himself. _But did that stop you? No! You decided to go make a bloody idiot of yourself and – _

"Rashid?"

He almost didn't hear the soft voice that said his name until it was said again, a bit louder. "Rashid." He turned in surprise to see a familiar girl with strawberry blonde hair and pale blue eyes.

He blinked. "Meredith?" He knew the quiet Gryffindor on sight but had never interacted with her much beyond the occasional small talk and the fact that he sat next to her in Herbology. "Um, hey."

She smiled at him shyly. Rashid thought for a second her cheeks were rather pink, but then decided it was a trick of the light. She fell into step beside him. "I saw what happened over there." She said quietly, tilting her head.

Rashid gritted his teeth. "Yeah, so did everyone else in the hallway." He cut his eyes towards her. "No offense, but if all you want to do is talk about my rejection so you can report back to Big Mouth Bronwyn, I'll pass. I can pity myself perfectly fine on my own."

Hurt flashed across her face. "All I wanted to say is that I think Dominique is daft for turning you down, and that plenty of girls would be lucky to have you fancy them." She said in a low voice. "But if all you want to do is wallow in self-pity, then I'll leave you to it." She started to turn away.

Rashid was stunned silent for a moment before he gathered his wits. "Wait." He called. Meredith paused. "I'm sorry I snapped at you." He apologized. "It… hasn't exactly been the best day of my life." He said ruefully.

She faced him and regarded him seriously. Then a tiny smile formed on her lips. "'Big Mouth Bronwyn'?" She asked.

Rashid winced. "Er… Fred didn't want anyone to find out about that nickname." He confessed.

Meredith laughed a little; it sparkled and sang like sleigh bells and Rashid found himself liking the sound. "Well, it does fit her." Meredith admitted. "Bronwyn is a bit of a gossip."

Rashid snorted. "A bit?"

Meredith laughed again, and Rashid couldn't help but smile. "Alright, so she couldn't keep a secret to save her life, but she's my friend and I love her." Meredith shrugged a little and then asked. "And just to clarify, I wasn't stalking you, I came looking for you earlier because was wondering if you wanted to be my partner for the Herbology project Professor Longbottom assigned."

Rashid blinked in surprise. "Oh - yeah! Sounds brilliant." He grinned. "Um… when do you want to start?"

Meredith thought for a minute, then suggested tentatively, "Well… I'm free this weekend. We could go to that Herbology shop, Dogweed and Deathcap, on the Hogsmeade trip to get the books we need."

"Sounds good." Rashid agreed. Meredith flashed him a smile, and it lit up her whole face in a way that made her utterly beautiful and Rashid forget Dominique Weasley ever existed. He blurted, "I don't have anything to do right now… do you want to head to the library and get a head start on it?"

Meredith smiled sweetly and nodded, and the two started on their way. They passed a small redhead as they went, and Rashid, now in a rather good mood, greeted her cheerfully, "Hullo, Lily!"

* * *

Lily was immersed in reading a letter from home and barely heard the Arab wizard's greeting as she giggled at her mother's story about her Uncle George testing a new product on her daddy and 'accidentally' turning him bald for a whole week.

She was turning a corner when something small and furry shot past her, making her lose her balance and land hard on her backside. "Ouch!" She yelped.

"Snickerdoodle!" A familiar voice cried. Lily looked up to see Jackie sprinting past in pursuit of her runaway rabbit. "Sorry Lily!" She called over her shoulder. Lily blinked.

Then she realized she was no longer holding her letter. She spun around to look for it when a hand appeared in her line of sight, holding a crumpled piece of parchment. Lily looked up and met the apologetic eyes of Simon Fortescue. "Jackie stepped on it." He explained. "Sorry."

Lily giggled and took the letter. "That's okay, I was done reading it anyway." She blew her hair out of her face, then thought of how goofy she must look and stopped, blushing hotly. Simon didn't seem to notice, though, and extended his hand again to help her up.

A clock floated past then, beeping twelve times, followed presumably by its owner, hopping up and down trying to retrieve the rogue timepiece.

"Oh, it's time for lunch!" Lily said.

"I was just on my way to the Great Hall." Simon mentioned. "Want to come?"

"I was just going to go back to Gryffindor Tower," Lily confessed. "None of my friends are ever at lunch, and I feel so awkward sitting by myself."

"You can sit with me." Simon offered.

"Really?" Lily beamed. "Thanks!"

They walked for a bit in silence – well, Simon walked, Lily sort of skipped – before Simon asked, "So, how's life in Gryffindor, Miss Potter?"

Lily made a face. "Crowded. And loud." She giggled a little, then sobered. "But I don't really feel like I belong there." She admitted softly.

Simon's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Why not?"

She shrugged a little and fiddled with the end of her braid. "I just don't think I'm very brave." She said, trying to sound nonchalant, but her eyes were troubled.

Simon frowned. "I don't like how when kids here get sorted, they think that they have to be exactly like their House traits. It's rubbish. Not all Gryffindors are going to be brave 100 percent of the time. That's completely illogical." He said, frustrated.

"It's not just because of my House." Lily added. "Being brave should be in my genes. Both my parents were Gryffindors… my daddy is Harry Potter, for Merlin's sake! He was practically the bravest man ever!"

"You don't have to be just like your parents." Simon said firmly. "Besides, isn't your big brother Albus a Slytherin?"

"Yes, and he hates himself for that." Lily said sadly. "So I suppose I should feel lucky I'm in Gryffindor, but all I can think about is how I don't belong there."

"You belong there!" Simon said forcefully. "You belong wherever you want to belong! A stupid hat shouldn't determine that!" Lily blinked owlishly, startled by this outburst. Simon flushed. "Sorry." He muttered. "I just don't think this Sorting nonsense is a very good system."

"Well, it's seemed to work for the past few hundred years." Lily commented.

"Has it really?" Simon argued. "In the second Wizarding War, Slytherins were labeled as Death Eaters and Gryffindors as Muggle-lovers, just because of their Houses! That doesn't sound like a working system to me."

"Circumstances were very different then." Lily reminded him. "Besides, it's not the House that determines who you are."

Simon grinned at her. "Exactly."

Lily, realizing what she had said, blushed. "That's not what I meant. Well, it is," She backpedaled, "I just meant the House doesn't determine whether you're a good or bad person."

"Then why should it determine whether you're brave or not?"

Lily huffed, exasperated. "You know, for someone who's so against the House system, you are acting rather like a Ravenclaw!"

Simon's mouth opened to protest, but then he just laughed. "I guess you're right. Sorry about that, this is kind of a sore subject for me."

"Me too." Lily sighed.

They had reached the Great Hall then, and Simon reached to push open the doors but paused with his hand on the handle. "For what it's worth," he said to Lily, "I think you could be whatever you wanted to be, no matter what anybody says, much less an old hat."

Lily was surprised, then very pleased. "That's very sweet." She said with a big smile. "Thank you, Simon." Then, acting on impulse, she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

This action didn't click right away for either of them, but when it did, Lily's eyes rounded and she blushed bright red up to the roots of her equally red hair, and Simon's mouth dropped open. Then Lily sprang forward, pushing the door open and scrambling inside. Simon followed her, in a stupor.

He nearly bumped into her when she turned around abruptly and said shyly, looking up at him beneath her eyelashes, "By the way, I think you can be whatever you want, too." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "But for the record, you play the know-it-all Ravenclaw quite well."

"Thanks –" Simon started to say automatically, before he registered what she had actually said. "Hey!"

Lily just skipped away, laughing.

* * *

"Gotcha!" Jackie said triumphantly as she finally caught her pet rabbit Snickerdoodle. "Think you could get away that easy, huh? Think again!" She grinned at the rabbit smugly. "No one can outrun the Jackie Fortescue." She danced a little jig for good measure.

She froze mid-dance when she heard a muffled laugh from nearby. She turned to see a boy with messy black hair and bright green bespectacled eyes grinning at her. He was wearing Slytherin colours. "What?" She said defensively. "Never seen a Hufflepuff chase a rabbit before?"

The boy laughed again. "Oh, it wasn't the rabbit part – it was the _dance_ that was new to me."

Jackie tossed her curls. "Your insults cannot touch me, lowly peasant." She said archly. "You're not the first person to be jealous of my groovy moves."

"'Lowly peasant'?" The boy repeated incredulously. "Am I in the presence of royalty?" He teased.

Jackie shrugged. "Well, my papa used to call me his little princess." She offered.

"Oh, well then," The boy bent at the waist in a sweeping bow. "I beg your pardon, Your Highness."

"That's more like it." Jackie said with a giggle as the boy straightened up.

He tilted his head, studying her. "I don't think we've met before." He observed. "But you look sort of familiar…"

Jackie shifted Snickerdoodle in her arms and stuck out her hand. "Jacqueline Fortescue," She introduced herself.

The boy shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Albus Potter." He hesitated after saying his name, as if waiting for something.

Jackie's eyes widened. "Oh! I know you!" She exclaimed. Albus sighed in resignation. "You're Lily's brother!" She finished excitedly. Albus blinked.

"What?" He blurted. "I mean, I am, but… _that's_ the reason you know me?"

Jackie waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, and you're Harry Potter's son or whatever, but I don't care about that."

Albus' shook his head in confusion. "You don't?"

"Well, I mean, it's brilliant how he saved the world and all, but _you_ didn't, so why would I apply that to you?" Jackie said bluntly. "I know you as Lily's brother, and that's pretty much it."

Albus just stared at her. For a moment, Jackie was afraid she'd offended him. Then he grinned. "That's… a refreshing perspective." He said, adjusting his glasses. "Most people either can't look past the fact that I'm Harry Potter's son, or that I'm in Slytherin."

Jackie snorted. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but I don't fancy myself a groupie. And my big brother is in Slytherin, so that would just be silly of me."

Albus snapped his fingers. "_That's _why you seemed so familiar!" He exclaimed. "You're Xavier's sister!"

Jackie nodded, her curls bouncing. "Guilty as charged." She started to say something else, but at that moment Snickerdoodle wriggled around, making her lose her grip. The rabbit leapt to the ground and took off. "Not again!" Jackie moaned. She scrambled after the rabbit, calling over her shoulder. "It was nice to meet you, Albus!"

Albus lifted his hand in a half-wave. "Um, bye?" He shook his head, bewildered, as he watched the petite girl with the impossibly curly hair run off. A small smiled played on his lips. _Well, that was… interesting._

He glanced at his watch and, seeing it was lunch time, started walking in the direction of the Great Hall. He was about to turn a corner when someone shouted behind him, "Oi! Albus!" Fred barreled down the hallway, skidding to a stop beside his younger cousin.

"Hey, Fred." Albus greeted him. Then he wrinkled his nose. "Why do you smell like smoke?"

"Yes, hi, how are you, I'm fine, the weather's lovely, blah blah blah." Fred rambled. "Good. Now that all that bothersome small talk rubbish is out of the way, I have a question for you. Do you possibly know a spell to put out fires?"

Albus' eyes narrowed. "Fred, what did you do now?"

"I assure you, my motives are purely academic." Fred said, not very convincingly. "The spell, please? I kind of need this answered immediately."

"Try _augamenti." _Albus said. "Or, if it's a magic fire, try _finite incantatum." _

Fred grabbed his cousin in an exuberant hug. "You are a beautiful boy, Albus Severus Potter. I am going to have your face tattooed on my –"

Albus covered his ears. "Please stop talking now."

"I was going to say _arm." _Fred rolled his eyes. "Goodness, Al, get your mind out of the gutter. You're never going to get a girl if you keep thinking like a cad."

"I'll keep that in mind." Albus said drily. "…can you stop hugging me now?"

"You know you like it." Fred said, but stepped away after one last squeeze.

Albus pushed his glasses up his nose. "Um, Fred?" He said. "Maybe you should go put out whatever fire you started before you burn down the whole school?"

Fred's eyes widened. "Right." He took off at breakneck speed back down the hallway, leaving Albus praying that whatever his troublemaker cousin had done now, it wouldn't bring about a third Wizarding War.

* * *

Fred bolted down the hallway, muttering the spells Albus had given him under his breath. "_Augamenti. Finite incantatum. Augamenti. Finite incantatum. Augamenti. Finite incantatum…" _ He had just made it to Gryffindor Tower when the portrait swung open and Fred rammed right into the person that stepped out.

"Bloody hell!"

Fred looked over at his collision counterpart from where he was lying spread-eagle on the ground to see a girl with long mahogany hair and eyes that were a rather fascinating shade of blue-green, which were currently aimed at him in a fierce glare. "Fred Weasley!" She growled. "Watch where you're going!"

"Francesca Allerdyce!" Fred greeted her with a salute. "My sincerest apologies, madam, however, I have no time to explain my cannonball tendencies at the moment – I'm in the middle of a crisis!" He said, popping up off the ground. He patted his pockets. "Hey! My wand!"

"It's right here." Francesca grumbled as she picked herself up off the floor, holding out the eleven-inch, sequoia wood wand. "And you really shouldn't go running about muttering under your breath like a madman… people might think you're crazier than you already are."

"I shall put that in my suggestion box." Fred said. "And not that it's any of your business, dear Francesca, but those weren't just any old mutterings of a madman, I was reciting spells." He told her.

"Really? What spells?" She asked curiously.

Fred reached out and closed his hand around his wand just as he unthinkingly said, "_Augamenti –" _and then blasted Francesca with a jet of ice cold water. "_Finite incantatum!"_ Fred yelped. "Huh. Those spells really work." Fred said with a grin. Francesca just stood there, sputtering and shivering. Fred stifled a laugh. "You look like a drowned rat." He informed her gleefully.

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh, _really?" _Her wand was in her hand and pointed at his chest before he could blink, as she uttered, "_Transfero augamus!"_ turning Fred into a rather small, rather wet rat. "Now who's the drowned rat?" She said smugly.

Fred glared up at her from his whiskered face and squeaked indignantly. Francesca laughed and waved her wand, undoing the spell. "That'll teach you." She said.

"I doubt it, but A for effort!" Fred retorted, as Francesca murmured a drying spell and moved her wand over her still-wet clothes. Fred tilted his head and studied her. "Where'd you come up with that spell, anyway?" He asked her. "The one that turned me into a soggy rodent?"

"I made it up." Francesca said matter-of-factly.

Fred blinked. "What?"

She shrugged. "It's my one redeeming quality." She said. "I'm pretty much rubbish at every single subject except the ones that involve casting spells. I guess I just have a knack for it." She said. "Although Professor Finnigan says it might be my wand and I just have a really excellent connection."

A light bulb went off in Fred's head. "So… if you can turn a human into a drowned rat by making up a spell, could you, oh I don't know, stop a ferret from breathing fire?"

Francesca snorted. "Now Fred, your breath isn't exactly sunshine and daisies, but it's not quite as bad as all that."

"What? Hey!" Fred frowned. "I wasn't – first of all, I do _not_ have bad breath, and I am _not_ a ferret." He protested. Francesca smiled demurely. "Actually, I was talking about a real ferret. My familiar, actually. I may have tried to transfigure him into a dragon, except now he's just a ferret that can breathe fire…"

Francesca's eyes widened. "You _what_?"

"So you'll help me? Brilliant!" Fred grabbed her arm and dragged her through the still-open portrait hole and across the Common Room to the stairs leading up to the boys' dormitories.

"Wait just a minute!" Francesca cried, wrenching her arm away. "Are you mad, Fred Weasley?"

"Yes, we've established that." Fred said impatiently. "Look, Essie, either you can let me go up there by myself to face certain death, simultaneously disproving the fact that you are a brave Gryffindor and costing us some serious House points, or you can help me out before Longbottom finds out."

"I… what did you just call me?" Francesca asked, startled.

"What? Oh - I called you Essie." Fred repeated. "I like giving people nicknames, but the most obvious option, Frannie, makes you sound like an eighty-year-old spinster." He waved his hand. "But that's not important. Will you help me or not?"

"My dad used to call me Essie…" Francesca said softly. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "Alright, I'll help you." She said grudgingly. Fred grinned. "But for the record, I still think you're depriving some poor village of its idiot." She muttered.

"Duly noted." Fred said cheerfully. "Alright, soldier, let's move out!"

They climbed the stairs, Fred still muttering those spells under his breath while Francesca wondered increasingly if _she_ wasn't the crazy one for letting herself become sucked into one of Fred Weasley's infamous schemes. _It's that smile. _She thought darkly. _He could charm goblins into guinea pigs with that smile of his. Or maybe it's those gorgeous brown eyes… _She cut herself off abruptly. _Pull yourself together, Allerdyce! First of all, that's bloody Fred Weasley, and secondly, you're about to face a fire-breathing ferret! _

"Well, here we are." Fred announced.

Francesca eyed the door warily. It looked harmless enough. She reached out to touch the handle when a loud sound that was somewhere between a squeak and a roar sounded from inside and the cracks around the door were suddenly illuminated with flames. Francesca let out a squeak of her own and leapt backward, right into Fred's solid torso. "No way!" She shook her head furiously. "I am _not_ going in there!"

"Oh no you don't." Fred said, catching her arm as she tried to escape. "You have reached the point of no return, Francesca Allerdyce. If I go down, you're going down with me."

"That's gotta be against the Hogwarts code of conduct." Francesca muttered. "Forcing a classmate into dangerous situations against her will."

"Yeah, well, I'm not much for following rules." Fred countered. "And neither are you." He added slyly.

"Excuse me? I am the epitome of goody-two-shoes!" Francesca protested feebly, yelping as another rush of flames and hot air rushed out from under the door, scorching the stone floor.

"That's not what I heard." Fred said with a wicked grin. "Do you remember a certain incident in Hogsmeade in the winter of our third year?"

Francesca's eyes widened. "We do not speak of that!" She hissed.

"And we won't, if you would just help a fellow out." Fred said enticingly.

"This is extortion!" Francesca cried.

"By jove, she's got it!" Fred said with a look of mock surprise. He applauded her. "Now, let's get this adventure under way, shall we?"

"Well, if you're so eager." Francesca said, an evil gleam in her eyes. She closed her hand around Fred's arm in a viselike grip, then grabbed the door handle and wrenched it open. "Then I volunteer _you_ for the first turn!" She finished, shoving Fred into the room before slamming the door closed and leaning against it. "Good luck!"

Fred pounded on the door. "Francesca Allerdyce!" He shouted. "You open this door this instant!" He paused, then laughed nervously. "Oh, hey, Diablo old boy. Fancy seeing you here… Merlin's _earwax_! What the bloody hell did you _do? _It looks like there was a fire slug stampede! _Augamenti! Augamenti!" _There was the hissing sound of fire being extinguished. "Now, hold still, Diablo. I'm sure you've had fun pretending to be a dragon, but I think you've caused enough property damage for one day… what are you… AHHH!"

Francesca winced as there was another squeak-roar and the sound of running feet. "_FRANCESCA_!" Fred yelled. "I COULD REALLY USE YOUR – AHHH! MY ROBE IS ON FIRE! _AUGAMENTI! AUGAMENTI! _…DON'T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME, YOU DEMONIC LITTLE FERRET. _FINITE INCANTATUM!" _There was a flash of wand light, then a moment of quiet. Someone knocked on the door.

Francesca gingerly eased it open to reveal a very disgruntled looking Fred Weasley, with smoking clothes, sooty cheeks, and blackened eyebrows. He was holding a rather adorable little black-footed ferret who blinked its round black eyes up at her.

"That was underhanded." Fred growled. Francesca smiled sheepishly. Then, amazingly, Fred smiled. "I like you." He remarked bluntly. "You're devious."

Francesca felt her cheeks grow hot. "You're not so bad yourself."

Fred grinned. "But I think it goes without saying that you definitely owe me for that little stunt you pulled… I hear Zonko's is having a sale this weekend. What do you say we go check it out? Your treat, of course."

Francesca bit her lip, then grinned back. "Sounds like a plan." She flashed Fred another smile, then spun around and headed down the stairs.

Diablo squeaked. Fred looked down at him. "What're you looking at?"

* * *

**Author's Note: ****I'm not going to reel off a list of excuses for why I've been off the grid for so long, but I have been on a pretty crazy emotional roller coaster lately, and it's been hard for me to just get by. But I'm doing better now, and now ****_Turning Kaleidoscopes _****can continue! YAY! **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter... we're going to Hogsmeade! :D**

**P.S. This chapter was really fun to write because I got to explore some new characters, and I really want some feedback, so REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!**


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